5 Burning Questions Jaguars' Defense Must Answer Before 2026 Season

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Few defenses improved quite as much as the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense did in 2025, and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile was the driving force behind the improvement.

The good news for the Jaguars on the defensive side of the ball this year? Despite getting a head coach interview with three different teams this offseason, Campanile is returning for a second year at the helm. With all of his key pieces back and the return of some injured players, Campanile's unit should be even better this season.

But with OTAs just a few weeks away, what are the biggest questions facing Campanile before they kick off? We break it down below.

Who is DE3?

bj gree — Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman B.J. Green II (95) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Jaguars have one of the NFL's best defensive end duos in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, but it remains to be seen who their top backup is at the position after Dawuane Smoot and Emmanuel Ogbah had their contracts expire. The two leading candidates are Danny Striggow and B.J, Green, a pair of undrafted free agents from a year ago who made big contributions down the stretch. The Jaguars also drafted two defensive ends in Wesley Williams and Zach Durfee.

It seems like a stretch to say Williams and Durfee can step into the role right away, especially considering what we saw from Striggow and Green last season. Dennis Gardeck will play a role off the edge on third-downs, but the every-down backup defensive end will likely be someone who got snaps last season.

What does Travis Hunter's role look like?

While Travis Hunter spent a good bit more time at receiver than cornerback as a rookie, it appears that will change in 2026. The question still remains what exactly Hunter's role will look like on both sides, though. His snaps on defense will clearly take a big increase, but what does that mean on a week-by-week basis? Will Hunter take multiple series off a game on defense? Will there be some games he plays receiver more than cornerback?

The Jaguars have plenty of time to figure all of this out, and they clearly have a lot of options at hand since Hunter is already one of the NFL's most versatile players. Hunter will play an important role for the Jaguars' defense, but it is a role we will likely not see fleshed out much until we see the Jaguars kick off in Week 1.

What can the Jaguars get from the rookies?

Three of the Jaguars' first five picks -- defensive tackle Albert Regis, safety Jalen Huskey, and defensive end Wesley Williams -- were on the defensive side of the ball. That kind of split was to be expected since the Jaguars had several free agents depart in free agency, but the question is whether the rookies will make a big impact in 2026 or if they will simply be depth pieces who get brought along throughout the course of the season.

The Jaguars already have defined starters at each of those positions, and this year's rookies crop could play similar roles to last year's class. But last year's group of rookies found their ways to impact the games each week even without being in starting roles, and that is likely what the group will have to do this season. Regis and Williams should play important roles in the run defense, while Huskey might be one of the Jaguars' most important players on special teams this season. If the Jaguars get anything more than that from them, it should give them quite the boost on the depth chart.

What will Caleb Ransaw provide?

It is clear the Jaguars are excited to see what Caleb Ransaw can do in 2026. The Jaguars' second selection in last year's draft, Ransaw has yet to make his official NFL debut because of a foot injury he sustained in training camp last year. The Jaguars had the safety depth to get by without their third-round rookie a year ago, but now the Jaguars are set to lean on Ransaw in one way or another after the Jaguars let Andrew Wingard walk in free agency for the Arizona Cardinals. Now is Ransaw's time to make an impact.

The good news for Ransaw is that he does not have to start at safety to make an impact for the Jaguars. There is a real chance Eric Murray and Antonio Johnson open the season as the official starters, but few teams used three safeties as often as the Jaguars did last season. Even if Ransaw is in the No. 3 safety role, he will have a chance to make a real impact for the Jaguars and Campanile this season. But until we see him actually on the field, it will all still be a projection.

Are the Jaguars making the right call at linebacker?

When the Jaguars let linebacker Devin Lloyd leave in free agency for the Carolina Panthers, it was certainly a big gamble by James Gladstone and the Jaguars' brass. Lloyd had a fantastic season a year ago and earned second-team All-Pro honors as a result, and the Jaguars have not exactly made any other moves at linebacker since he left. The Jaguars did not sign any veteran free agents, or even undrafted free agents for that matter, and they did not pick a linebacker in the draft until their final selection with seventh-rounder Parker Hughes out of Middle Tennessee State.

It certainly seems like the Jaguars are set to lean on Ventrell Miller in a big way entering the 2026 season. Miller has started games for the Jaguars in the past, including a handful of games last year when Lloyd was injured. He also pushed Lloyd for the starting job and even rotated with Lloyd during Week 1 before Lloyd officially won the job. But until Miller proves on the field that the Jaguars made the right call, there will be plenty of questions about the decision to let Lloyd leave after such a productive season in 2025.

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