Davon Hamilton Has Quietly Become Jaguars' Most Important Week 3 Weapon

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to need DaVon Hamilton this week, and in a big way.

That much is true each week, but it is especially true with the Jaguars set to face a tough-nosed New England Patriots team in Week 3. That is why Hamilton's status entering Sunday is set to be so critical.

Hamilton's Week 3 Status

Hamilton was listed as questionable in practice for the second day in a row, joining running back LeQuint Allen (hip), center Robert Hainsey (elbow/groin), wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (thumb), and offensive tackle Cole Van Lanen (knee). Hamilton injured his back late in last week's loss to the Denver Broncos, though he did return to the game shortly after.

The fact Hamilton returned vs. the Broncos is a good sign for a team that has needed Hamilton to set the tone for their run defense. Harrison ranks second on the Jaguars' entire roster in run stuffs and run tackles according to NextGenStats, behind only linebacker Ventrell Miller. Harrison had several key stops against the Denver Broncos a week ago, and the defense simply feels different when he is on the field.

"He actually was one of the guys I felt like played really, really well the other day," Campanile said Thursday. "Like everybody, there's things you want to improve. I thought he was very consistent. He's been really good for us. He's a team leader for us, in my opinion and certainly a guy on our side of the ball that has done a really good job and been practicing his ass off and he's just getting better and better.”

NF; — Sep 13, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Davon Hamilton (52) beffore the game against the Cleveland Browns at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jacksonville's defense under Campanile has always made it a focus first and foremost to be strong against the run, and Harrison is the key to that strategy. The Jaguars have not allowed a rusher to reach 75 yards in 19 straight games, the fifth-longest such streak in the last 50 seasons, and Harrison's performance in that span tell us everything we need to know.

The Jaguars are now set to play a team against the Patriots that wants to set the tone with their own running game. The Patriots are one of the most run-heavy under center offenses in the NFL, with NextGenStats noting they have run from under center formations on 82.4% of plays, the fourth-highest among NFL offenses this season. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have allowed 104 rushing yards from designed under center runs this season (9th-fewest).

The Patriots want to play in the mud and get into a trench battle when they are on offense, and that is what Hamilton allows the Jaguars to combat. With a one-two punch in Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson that the Patriots are not afraid to lean on, Hamilton has quietly become one of the Jaguars' Week 3 X-Factors.

“They're both great players, a little bit different, but that's a challenge, getting in there. And I think Stevenson is a physical runner. I think they're both physical runners," Campanile said Thursday. "But yeah, that's definitely a challenge because you got some guys that can break it if you don't get your eyes right, you're not playing with gap integrity, there's not a team tackling mentality. Those things are going to show up and they're going to get you. And they've gotten people that way. Since Josh has been back there, they've done a good job getting those guys touches, because they're guys that can get the ball down the field for them.”

The Jaguars and Campanile know what kind of game the Patriots are going to want to turn Sunday into. It will likely be up to Hamilton to determine if that is a game the Jaguars can play.

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