Grading Every Position Group Ahead of Jaguars’ 2026 Season
While the Jacksonville Jaguars had a quiet offseason, some shakeups may impact the ceiling and projected success of certain position groups heading into the 2026-27 campaign.
After three preseason contests and weeks of training camp, confidence in some units has hit a major high, while others still have question marks as the season inches closer.
Quarterbacks: B+
The Jaguars found their guy in Trevor Lawrence, and after coming off a standout season in which the 26-year-old ranked fifth in MVP votes, there is simply no reason for confidence to dwindle.
However, the grade is lowered because the Jaguars have no proven backups. They acquired former Dolphins backup Quinn Ewers to slot in behind Lawrence, sending former backup Nick Mullens to the practice squad as the designated emergency quarterback. Ewers played four games for the Dolphins last season, throwing for 622 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions while sporting a passer rating of 85.5.
Running backs: B
The biggest blow of the offseason was to the backfield. Jacksonville lost starting running back Travis Etienne Jr. to free agency, and the hole he left will be tough to fill.
The Jaguars have a solid trio in the backfield with returners Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. and newcomer Chris Rodriguez Jr., who will combine to fill in the gap, but none of them alone replace the proven presence of Etienne. Tuten, though, has had a standout training camp, specifically shining in a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers.
Simply because of the lack of proven contributors and the toll it takes on any team to lose a position group’s best player, the running back unit will sit in ‘B’ range. However, Lawrence said at training camp he believes it is “a really well-rounded room.”
Wide Receivers: A
Heading into the season, the Jaguars clearly have a top-10 wide receiver unit.
Their three top receivers – Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers and Brian Thomas Jr. – ranked in the NFL’s top 50 in receiving yards in 2025. Jacksonville was the only team to have three receivers break into those ranks.
Washington had his career-best season by far in his third year, and after coming to the Jaguars in November of last season, Meyers immediately proved to be a crucial addition.
Meanwhile, Thomas dipped after his standout rookie season due in part to injuries, posting 48 receptions for 707 yards in 14 games. This was a significant dip from 2024, when he logged 87 receptions for 1,282 yards, and was a finalist for the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Year awards. If Thomas push get back to his 2025 production level, the unit could easily become a top five force in the NFL, and his performance in training camp so far suggests a rebound for him is on the horizon.
Furthermore, with Travis Hunter also a strong, eligible receiver despite transitioning to cornerback full-time, the group leaves very little to be desired.
Tight ends: B+
Before the start of training camp, it seemed to be solely Brenton Strange keeping the tight ends from being one of the most concerning groups.
Strange comes off a career year, quickly emerging as a top-four option for Lawrence with 46 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns. However, it’s no longer just him giving a reason for confidence. Behind him, the unit seemed initially unproven, but training camp quickly tossed most concerns out the window.
The Jaguars’ second-round pick Nate Boerkircher and fifth-rounder Tanner Koziol have shined as second-and third-string options. The two have been big, physical presences, and confidence seems high even in their first training camp.
“The exciting thing is seeing how those guys embrace those challenges because they both really attack it head-on,” offensive coordinator Grant Udinski said. “It’s not easy to go out there and be a rookie and operate, whether you’re in a circumstance that’s set up for success or a circumstance that’s set up for a challenging block or a challenging route or a challenging look. But regardless of what those guys have had thrown at them, they’ve attacked it with full effort.”
Offensive Line: B
The offensive line is one of the most unchanged units on the Jaguars’ squad, making it relatively easy to gauge where it falls among the rankings.
It is far from a bad unit and has plenty of talent, but it does lack a standout contributor. The most interesting piece this season will be how third-round pick Emmanuel Pregnon emerges as a potential impact player as a starting rookie.
The offensive line will look for something or someone to give it a little extra push this season as it battles injuries throughout the group.
Edge Rushers: A-
The elite starting duo of Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen is enough to make a lack of depth less concerning.
Walker and Hines-Allen are two of the top defenders on the team. Bleacher Report ranked the tandem fifth in the NFL’s top Edge rusher duos, and they should provide plenty of confidence at the position.
Behind them, Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II enter just their second seasons in the NFL, combining for 31 total tackles (12 solo) and 2.5 sacks in their rookie campaigns.
Interior Defensive Line: B-
The interior defensive line group is one of the more questionable.
The unit absorbed much of the blame for the Jaguars’ struggling pass rush last season, which is the reason for the low grade. However, there are some offseason additions that suggest improvement. Similar to the offensive line, this group does lack a true driving player, but it could still prove to be a strong unit.
Veteran Arik Armstead and DaVon Hamilton will take the starting spots, and recent additions Ruke Orhorhoro and Albert Regis bolster the position.
Cornerbacks: A
While multiple position groups for the Jaguars have run into the issue of not having depth, the cornerback unit won’t have the same problem.
Travis Hunter is a lock for a starting cornerback spot, and he’s surely the biggest reason for optimism. Proven players like Montaric Brown and Jourdan Lewis will likely also take on starting roles, and there isn’t much reason for concern there.
Behind the three starters, Jarrian Jones provides depth.
“There’s a lot of accountability in that room,” defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said. “That’s coming together in terms of who’s going to do what. But we really feel like the whole collective group can give us a lot out there.”
Safeties: B
The loss of long-time staple Andrew Wingard to free agency immediately knocks the safety unit down a few pegs. His veteran presence will undoubtedly be missed, and with him logging the second-most tackles on last year’s squad, this group is a bit of an unknown.
However, the strong duo of Antonio Johnson and Eric Murray keeps the group from falling too far. The two are proven players. Behind them, there isn’t much proven depth, but those like youngster Rayuan Lane III could certainly emerge and strengthen the unit.
Linebackers: C-
Similar to the running back group, the front seven also lost a crucial piece of last season’s success in free agency. With Devin Lloyd gone, Foyesade Oluokun is the only remaining proven linebacker.
While that’s not to say the talent behind him can’t improve and make this a strong group, there isn’t enough evidence of depth to make this a unit to be overly confident in heading into the season. Notably, Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs will be called upon to have a serviceable season and fill the space left by Lloyd as the two options for the second starting linebacker spot.
Veteran Dennis Gardeck is slotted to fill the third starting linebacker role.
Special Teams: A
There are simply no question marks with Jacksonville’s special teams unit. It has potential to be one of the best in the NFL, as it has been since special teams coordinator Heath Farwell took the reins.
Although kicker Cam Little enters just his third year in the NFL, he comes off a remarkable season. He broke an NFL record, hitting a 68-yard field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders, the longest in the history of the league. He also ranked eighth in the league in field goals made (30), hitting 88.2% of his attempts.
Little is far from the only reason for confidence, however, as the Jaguars have Pro Bowlers making up the rest of Farwell’s unit. Ross Matiscik is the highest-paid long snapper in the NFL and will be dependable for Jacksonville, along with punter Logan Cooke, who ranked ninth in the league in average yards (48.0).
Category: Football, Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL
