5 Winners, 4 Losers From Jaguars' First Month of the Season: Rookie and Veteran Risers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have had quite the first month.

For 14 of the 16 quarters of the season, the Jaguars have been a dominant team that has pushed the opposing teams around. Take away the second half against the Broncos, and there are not many teams better than the Jaguars right now.

But which Jaguars have been the most impressive during the first month of the season? We break it down below with this week's winners and losers.

Winners

RB Bhayshul Tuten

nfl — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands off to running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 4 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. The Bengals fell to 2-2 on the season with a 22-17 loss at home. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It is hard to think of many bigger winners than Bhayshul Tuten. According to NextGenInsights, Tuten has reached 15+ mph on 19 of his 60 rushes this season, the most of any player. Nearly half of Tuten's rushing yards (49.9%) have come after a missed tackle this season, the highest share of any player (min. 25 rushes). In short, he is creating a ton of explosive plays and generating his own yards. This is something the Jaguars stressed that they needed from the running back position all offseason, and Tuten has given it to them. He has produced big plays all season long, and he should be only getting better.

CB Travis Hunter

Everyone expected Travis Hunter to be a stellar cornerback, but this quickly? Hunter already has become one of the top cornerbacks in football after just playing a month of cornerback full-time. He has already taken massive steps compared to last season, too. According to NextGenStats, Hunter has played 175 defensive snaps through four games this season, already more than his total as a rookie in 2025 (154), while playing 16 offensive snaps after 305 last season. Hunter has aligned as the field cornerback on 74.9% of his defensive snaps this season, up from 44.2% in 2025, and logged a career-high 58 coverage snaps against the Bengals in Week 4.

OL Emmanuel Pregnon

nfl — Jacksonville Jaguars guard Emmanuel Pregnon (75) is introduced before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Patriots 35-6. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times‑Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Emmanuel Pregnon has played every single snap for the Jaguars this season, not something easy to do for a rookie joining a team that went 13-4. Pregnon has had his ups and downs, as any rookie offensive lineman will have, but he has stood out each week with his run-blocking ability. Pregnon has been the Jaguars' most impactful rookie to date, and he is the future at the guard position for the Jaguars moving forward.

LB Ventrell Miller

There were plenty of questions the Jaguars had to face at the linebacker position this offseason, but Ventrell Miller has helped answer all of them. After losing former All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd in free agency, the Jaguars had Miller step into the full-time starting linebacker role for the first time in his career, and he has thrived. He has been one of the NFL's best linebackers against the run (if not the very best) and he has been an impactful blitzer. He has made himself some money this season.

WR Josh Cameron

davon hamilton — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Josh Cameron (19) runs the ball out on the opening kickoff during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Patriots 35-6. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times‑Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

6th round rookies do not often make big impacts on winning teams. It is even more uncommon when that rookie plays the position the team is the strongest at, but that is where the Jaguars are with Josh Cameron. The Baylor product has certified himself as the team's No. 4 receiver, caught two touchdowns in four games, and has turned every single one of his catches into a first-down or a touchdown. He has become a home run Day 3 pick very, very quickly.

Losers

WR Brian Thomas Jr.

nfl — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) catches a pass for a touchdown in the second quarter of the NFL Week 4 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Brian Thomas Jr. clearly has a ton of talent and value to the Jaguars' offense, but the lack of production through the first month is jarring. He is averaging a little over 25 yards a game, has only seen a heavy dose of targets in one game, and looks more like a piece of the equation on offense than he looks like a true X-Factor for how they attack each week. Thomas is a good player; too good for just over 100 yards through four weeks.

CB Caleb Ransaw

With Caleb Ransaw placed on injured reserve earlier this week, he is now set to miss 21 of his first 25 possible games in the NFL. He did some good things for the Jaguars at the start of the season, especially as a tackler, but he will now be sidelined for at least a month, if not longer. Ransaw has had some really tough breaks at the start of his NFL career, especially considering how excited the Jaguars were about him as a prospect when they drafted him.

OL Patrick Mekari

Patrick Mekari did not play in the first four games due to the back injury that landed him on injured reverse, and it does not look like there is much reason for the Jaguars to introduce him back into the starting lineup when he is healthy. Pregnon has played well at left guard for a rookie, and Ezra Cleveland has done enough at the right guard spot for the Jaguars to not muddy up the waters. Mekari has of course done nothing wrong, but the Jaguars do not need guard help, which means he is likely an expensive backup once he returns.

WR Travis Hunter

nfl — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter (12) runs on the field before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Patriots 35-6. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times‑Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While Travis Hunter has been stellar at cornerback, he has been mostly forgotten on the offensive side of the ball. That makes sense for where the Jaguars are with cornerback injuries and with Hunter's high level of play at cornerback, but nobody could say that Hunter having one catch for eight yards through four games was expected. Hunter is playing great football, but it has been mostly one-sided. That does not take away from his value to the team, but it does change expectations.

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