The New Orleans Saints will get their first preseason look at the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday at Caesars Superdome, and the biggest mystery in Jacksonville starts where games are won and lost: the run game.
Head coach Liam Coen has made it clear all offseason that the Jaguars’ rushing issues were the hidden problem behind their 8-0 run to finish the regular season. He has also said it’s nearly impossible to properly judge the ground game without pads, and the Jaguars have had only a limited window to work on it since the first padded practice of training camp on August 3. That leaves this opener with some real intrigue, especially with an offensive line that’s dealing with injuries and a backfield still trying to settle itself.
The Jaguars’ offensive line and running back room aren’t the only areas worth watching. Tight end is another spot that could get a long preseason audition, with Jacksonville hoping for early production from rookies Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol.
Koziol has reportedly been the more impressive of the two in offseason work, even though he was the later pick. Coen still plans to lean heavily on 3-WR sets, but he’d like the flexibility to use more 2-TE looks and get Brenton Strange involved more often in the passing game.
There’s also something to be gained on defense, where Jacksonville is looking for depth behind Hines-Allen and Walker at edge rusher. B.J. Green II and Zach Durfee have each flashed enough in recent weeks to make Saturday a useful proving ground for the group.
The running back room has changed a lot with Travis Etienne Jr. now in New Orleans, and that makes this one of Jacksonville’s biggest questions heading into 2026. The expectation is that second-year speedster Bhayshul Tuten will handle most of Etienne’s old workload, Chris Rodriguez Jr. will be the bruiser on the inside and in short-yardage situations, and LeQuint Allen Jr. will take a healthy share of third-down snaps. Even with the loss of Etienne’s star power, the room has a different kind of balance now.
One name Saints fans may not know yet is Jabbar Muhammad, but he’s been one of the Jaguars’ most improved players this offseason in Coen’s view. The former Oregon Duck went undrafted, with size cited as part of the reason at 5’ 9”, 182 lbs, but he has shown up everywhere in camp.
He’s been active in 1-vs-1 work, 11-vs-11 periods, red zone drills and two-minute situations. If that carries into the preseason, he could be on track for a role in Jacksonville’s sub-packages before long.
And for Saturday itself, the expectation is straightforward: messiness. Gus Logue expects a sloppy, turnover-filled preseason game and sees Jacksonville’s rookie safety Jalen Huskey finding the end zone on a pick-six, though not quite enough to swing it. His pick: Jaguars 13, Saints 17.
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Saints Take An Intriguing Camp Swing On Defensive Line Help
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For New Orleans, the appeal is pretty straightforward: a player with some versatility, some pass-rushing juice and a chance to carve out a spot in the rotation if he can hold up through camp. The challenge is just as clear, though, because the Saints are still sorting through a crowded competition and Saunders will have to do more than flash to stick on the final roster. [Read more 🡒]