3 Jaguars UDFAs Who Boosted Their Stock at Rookie Minicamp

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It is the dawn of a new season for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and head coach Liam Coen is prepared to hit the ground running with a fresh start.

The Jaguars kicked off rookie minicamp on Friday and concluded it Sunday, and the next step of the offseason program has been taken. The next time we see the Jaguars on the practice field, the rookies and veterans will all be together.

“Yeah, we were all starting off so fresh at that time and that was exactly what I mentioned to the vets on Thursday with them was, ‘Man, when these guys get in here on Monday and get integrated with you all, I need you all to set the standards and show these guys what our standards are of how to operate in the meeting room settings and walkthroughs and practice because we need them. We need them to come along as fast as possible,'" Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said after rookie minicamp Saturday.

"You saw it last year with the amount of rookies that played for us and made an impact and contributions, so yeah, they're competing with each other for spots, but man, we need every single guy.”

jacksonville jaguar — Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, left, and head coach Liam Coen talk 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. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jaguars will certainly need their 10-man draft class to make an impact on a case-by-case basis, but they will need even more than that. Jacksonville saw two undrafted rookies make the team and make significant impacts last season with Danny Striggow and B.J. Green.

So, which undrafted free agents seemingly made a positive impression during the open minicamp practice this weekend? We break down three below.

RB J'Mari Taylor

J'Mari Taylor certainly seemed to stand out during the first open practice of the offseason. That was expected to be the case since it was a practice without contact and this is where skill players should shine, but Taylor made sure he did exactly that. Had he looked ordinary on the day, it would have been easy to dismiss him and his chance to crack the Jaguars' roster as their No. 4 running back. He certainly did not look ordinary, however.

Taylor's tape showed that he was a player capable of playing three downs and creating yards on his own, but it certainly looked like power was more an element of his running style than anything else. On Saturday, Taylor looked quick, explosive, and natural as a pass-catcher. He might have a higher ceiling than people think.

"When you looked at him against some of the I guess you’d call it top backs in the draft, production against the same teams and what that looked like I thought was pretty impressive," Coen said about Taylor after practice. "Obviously, the season that Virginia had, a lot of it had to do with his success and his ability to both affect the game in the run and the pass game as well. So, people just slip, like bounce off of him in ways. He forced a lot of missed tackles and he's super sharp.”

DB Devin Neal

The Jaguars have a deep safety room that is going to make it hard for any rookie to crack the depth chart, including third-round safety Jalen Huskey. That is especially true for undrafted safety Devin Neal, though there is clearly a path for him and all other undrafted free agents to take to give them the best chance of sticking around. That path, as it often is, is on special teams with Heath Farwell.

Jacksonville's special teams periods clearly were not live contact, but Neal looked like he had ineffectious effort and was willing to perform a variety of roles for the Jaguars as they worked on the third phase of their team. Neal is a bigger safety who will get chances to impress with the reserves on defense, but he could be a riser due to his special teams ability.

If there is one position where high-effort players can stick around with Jacksonville, whether on the 53-man roster or on the 90-man squad, it is defensive back. Jacksonville wants bigger bodies on special teams, and Neal would certainly check that box as well.

WR Michael Wortham

The Jaguars have a number of talented receivers, and they had eight total on the field on Saturday for rookie minicamp. Two of those were sixth-round draft picks CJ Williams and Josh Cameron, while five other receivers were undrafted free agents. Several of these undrafted free agents made an impressive play here or there, but it was Michael Wortham who looked perhaps the most interesting.

Wortham will be the smallest receiver the Jaguars have in training camp, but that is almost what makes him so interesting. He is more of a gadget skill player that you scheme into space and utilize as a returner, and the Jaguars do not have anyone else like that anywhere on the roster. He has a very specific skill-set, but his explosiveness stood out in a big way on Saturday.

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