9 Winners, 5 Losers From Jaguars' Preseason Victory Over Saints

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It may not have meant much in the grand scheme of things, but the Jacksonville Jaguars' preseason opening win against the New Orleans Saints made things interesting for quite a few players.

So, who are the winners and the losers from the Jaguars' 24-20 win over the Saints to kick off the preseason? We break it down below.

Winners

Yasir Abdullah

Aug 15, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (2) scrambles from the pocket and fumbles the ball against Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Yasir Abdullah (56) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Maybe no player did more for their chances to make the 53-man roster on Saturday than fourth-year linebacker Yasir Abdullah. The veteran special teamer has been in a battle with Jalen McLeod for the backup strong side linebacker spot all camp, but McLeod has missed time with injury lately and did not play vs. the Saints. This gave Abdullah a chance to make plays, which he turned into a big tackle on special teams and a strip-sack on defense. He got a legit boost from this performance.

“He did some nice things on special teams. He had a sack. He played with good energy. He played physical," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said after the game.

The Rookie DL

regis' — Aug 15, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Albert Regis (98) sacks New Orleans Saints quarterback Zach Wilson (4) during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars had three rookie defensive linemen make an impact in the pass-rush, with Wesley Williams helping Abdullah record his strip-sack and with Albert Regis and undrafted defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. each recording sacks. The youthful group looked violent and explosive throughout the night, and they got the kind of pressure the Jaguars were likely hoping to see from a few young guys they will need to make early contributors.

B.J. Green

B.J. Green has been all over the place for the Jaguars since training camp kicked off, and this continued with an impressive performance against the Saints. He was active as a pass-rusher, recorded the fumble that Abdullah forced, and made several impressive plays against the run. I came into the week thinking he was the favorite for the DE3 spot, and his play vs. the Saints only pushes that idea more.

Jalen Huskey

I left Saturday's game impressed by a number of the Jaguars' draft picks, but I was especially impressed by rookie safety Jalen Huskey. It wasn't a perfect outing, but he prevented a touchdown on the opening kickoff with a great hustle play and he also recorded a pass breakup after showing some real talent for finding the ball and making a play on it. He is an exciting player to watch moving forward after he stacked some solid practices in recent training camp practices.

Caleb Ransaw

Caleb Ransaw may not have posted any massive splash moments, recording two tackles. But he did get through the game completely healthy and finally got the live game reps that we never got to see out of him as a rookie. One of his two tackles was an impressive run fit where he came downhill and showed off his tackling ability, too. It was a positive step for Ransaw.

Emmanuel Pregnon

jaguar — Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon (75) warms up during rookie minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. Today was the second of a three day camp concluding Sunday. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

I was a bit surprised that Emmanuel Pregnon played on Saturday after missing recent days of practice, but it is a good thing he did. In a game that was highlighted by the injury issues the Jaguars have up front along the offensive line, Pregnon was one of the few blockers who stood out for the Jaguars in a positive fashion. He showed legit power in the running game and did not make many mistakes in pass-protection. He had some rookie moments, but the talent is very, very clear with the Jaguars' young left guard.

OK Pregnon pic.twitter.com/10M1KYWytO
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 16, 2026

J'Mari Taylor

jmari talo — Aug 15, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back J'mari Taylor (30) is tackled by New Orleans Saints defensive end Michael Heldman (63) during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the Jaguars' running game may not have churned out great numbers, I thought undrafted rookie running back J'Mari Taylor most the most of his chances with the ball in his hands on Saturday. The backup offensive line was woeful, but Taylor was still able to create some productive rushes thanks to his vision and ability to creat yards after contact.

Cam Little

Jaguars kicker Cam Little was, once again, perfect. He was 3-of-3 on field goals with makes from 32, 36, and 54 yards. Outside of a missed extra point in the team scrimmage awhile back, Little has not missed a kick all training camp, and that then extended into his preseason performance. I think he is in store for a big season.

Grant Udinski

No, the Jaguars' offense didn't light up the scoreboard. But in just his second game calling plays for the Jaguars since being hired, Grant Udinski led the Jaguars to 18 second-half points while never really going away from the run. That is an important lesson that many young play-callers struggle with, but I saw some maturity with the way Udinski handled the offense and its play calls against the Saints.

Losers

Jalen McLeod

Yasir Abdullah greatly helped his chances to make the 53-man roster, which can only mean that Jalen McLeod's chances were hurt. He has talent, but he has simply been banged up too often as a Jaguar. With him sitting with injury and Abdullah flashing, it is clear he suffered a setback in terms of making the roster.

Most of the Backup OL

Outside of Emmanuel Pregnon, I thought Saturday was a brutal showing from the reserve offensive line. Ricky Lee, Geron Christian, and Jimto Obidegwu all had some really down moments, and the backup offensive line has now become one of the biggest sticking points of the entire training camp up to this point.

Corey Ballentine

There were some people beleiving Zach Wilson showed some compentency on Saturday evening, which is an indictment on some members of the backup secondary. Veteran cornerback Corey Ballentine was on the wrong side of some of Wilson's biggest chunk gains, and the ball just simply went over his head far too often for someone who is fighting for a roster spot.

Backup QBs

nick mullen — Aug 15, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Mullens (14) throws against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I have seen a lot of buzz from fans wanting Carter Bradley to push for the QB2 job, but my only take from that is it tells you how rough it was for Nick Mullens. Neither quarterback did a great job in terms of taking care of the ball, though Bradley had a better night than Mullens. The best throw of the game, though, came from Joey Aguilar's only toss of the game.

The Backup STs

I can not imagine that special teams coordinator Heath Farwell was very happy with his kick coverage unit. The backup special teamers on the punt coverage team did a great job, allowing -6 yards on two returned punts. But the Jaguars allowed one return of 34 yards on kickoff, while allowing an 86-yard return on the very first play of the game to set up a Saints touchdown. Most players who dressed on Saturday will need to make an impact on special teams,an

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