1 Surprising Source of Optimism for Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars took a deflating loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Game 2 of the 2025 NFL season, but it wasn't all bad for them last week.

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, left, talks with Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, right, after the. Jacksonville Jaguars’ mandatory minicamp Tuesday June 10, 2025 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars took a gut punch in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. They nearly pulled off the road upset in Liam Coen's first game away from home as an NFL head coach, but fell just short, 31-27.

Normally, taking a narrow loss to a prospective playoff team in the second outing after a systematic overhaul is an encouraging thing, but the way the Jaguars lost last Sunday dealt a huge hit to the confidence surrounding this franchise. They gave the game away on a last-minute drive to the Bengals' backup quarterback, wasting a key opportunity to move to 2-0.

It might not seem like it at first, but Jacksonville got some positive takeaways from Week 2, too. The offense was able to move the ball well when they weren't dropping passes, committing illegal shift penalties, or throwing interceptions. The defense was incredibly stout, forcing three turnovers, though they also gave up a couple of big plays and a 90-yard game-winning march to Jake Browning.

Jun 11, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Bryce Huff (47) speaks to the media following a team OTA at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Jaguars' draft stock on the rise

Before their Week 2 clash with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Jacksonville Jaguars had elected to trade running back Tank Bigsby to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. They justified that decision against Cincy, getting 74 total yards and a touchdown from rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten, the new primary backup to Travis Etienne Jr.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars' return for Bigsby could be getting even better. The fifth-round pick they received from Philadelphia actually belonged to the San Francisco 49ers originally, who sent it to the Eagles for defensive lineman Bryce Huff. That trade was conditional, dictating that the fifth-round pick conveyed by the Niners would turn into a fourth-rounder if Huff could total eight sacks in 2025 for San Francisco.

#49ers Bryce Huff earned his nickname the “Bugatti” 🏎️💨 pic.twitter.com/N5wqgu82KV

— 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙎𝙁𝙉𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 (@TheSFNiners) September 15, 2025

In Week 2, Huff got his first one as a Niner. He also had four total tackles, one for a loss, and an additional quarterback hit against the New Orleans Saints. Per Pro Football Focus, he's currently just 78th among NFL edge rushers in snaps, but ranks 35th in pressures with six.

He went from playing 26 snaps in the opener versus the Seattle Seahawks to 28 last week. Hopefully, his performance against the Saints has earned him some more opportunities for Kyle Shanahan's defense. The Jaguars just need him to get seven more sacks in 15 games to grab an additional fourth-round pick in next year's draft.

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