4 Surprise Players Turning Heads at Jaguars Training Camp

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have been a haven for sleepers during training camp for quite some time, but it is even truer now that the Jaguars' new regime loves to hit on diamonds in the rough that can be described as nothing else but "intangibly rich".

So, which sleepers have stood out for the Jaguars through the first two days of training camp at the Miller Electric Center? We take a look at a few young names below.

DE Zach Durfee

Zach Durfee has been a pleasant surprise early on in training camp, making plays on both days in team drills thus far. There has to be the context of a lack of pads involved, but players are still trying to make plays, and Durfee has done exactly that. He collected a tackle for loss against the run on Wednesday and then followed that up with a sack in team drills on Thursday.

If I had to guess what the Jaguars' defensive end depth chart looks like, I think the absolute highest spot that either Durfee or fourth-rounder Wesley Williams could be would be the No. 5 spot. But if Durfee makes plays when the pads come on later in training camp, he will be a tough player to keep off the field for 17 games. I could see him having a trajectory like B.J. Green had last year, with his snaps increasing over the second-half of the season.

That, of course, is in the event Durfee continues to make an impact. But so far, the rookie pass-rusher has been able to stand out in a defensive end room that has several impressive rookies vying for snaps. That isn't a bad start for a seventh-round pick like Durfee.

CB Devon Marshall

DEVON MARHSAL — Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Devon Marshall (40) is corrected by defensive pass game coordinator Mathieu Araujo during the first day of NFL Training Camp at the Miller Electric Center on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Jaguars cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter is one of the most talented players on the entire roster, which means you should probably pay attention anytime someone manages to get the best of him in a practice rep. That is exactly what happened for undrafted rookie cornerback Devon Marshall, who produced a pass deflection on a target to Hunter from Trevor Lawrence during team drills.

Marshall could have a tough time making the 53-man roster considering the depth the Jaguars have at the cornerback spot, but veteran cornerback Christian Braswell has been limited to open camp and that could mean some increased snaps for the rookie from NC State. If he spends the year on the practice squad and potentially becomes next year's Jabbar Muhammad, that would be a pretty strong outcome for Jacksonville.

WRs Josh Cameron & CJ Williams

The Jaguars entered April's draft with a stellar wide receiver room in terms of their No. 1 - No. 4 options, but they clearly needed some depth behind them. To provide that depth, the Jaguars took two swings at the position with a trade-up in the sixth-round for wide receiver Josh Cameron and then selecting CJ Williams later in the same round.

In a scenario where the Jaguars hit on just one of these two picks, the future of the receiver room is exciting beyond measure. But through the offseason program and two training camp days, both have excelled and looked like potential steals. Cameron made some impressive grabs during Thursday's practice and Williams had the most impressive catch of the day during Wednesday's practice.

“Yeah, he's just, he's extremely intelligent as a football player. He is. I mean, he's, he gets it. You don't have to tell him much, honestly. Like, there's not a ton of coaching points for CJ on a day-to-day basis," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said about Williams on Wednesday.

"It's just about getting him some of those opportunities and physically being able to do everything, right? I think the quarterbacks innately trust him being at the right spot, at the right time, and he's going to typically catch the football, right? So, he's another guy that he's been able to pick up the offense very quickly. And excited to see if he can help us out this year."

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