6 Jaguars to Watch on The First Training Camp Practice in Pads

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Football is back. Really this time.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will kick off Day 5 of training camp on Monday, but in many ways it is the first real day of preparation as the shoulder pads come on and contact will finally be initiated. The workouts in helmets and basketball shorts are now, for all intents and purposes, over.

“I’m going to just tell the guys, be aggressive first. And then if you’ve got to pull it back, it's easier to go backwards than to try to go out there, feel it out, get hit in your mouth," wide receiver Jakobi Meyers said on Sunday. "And now you think you’re about to go hit somebody. It's not going to work like that. So, be aggressive first and let them pull you back.”

So, who will we have our eyes on the closest when the pads start popping at the Miller Electric Center this morning? We break it down below.

RB Bhayshul Tuten

Liam Coen has said at numerous points this offseason that the real time for the Jaguars' running back group to stand out is when the pads come on, and that is especially true for second-year running back Bhayshul Tuten. Tuten has been able to generate explosive runs at a consistent clip in the non-contact practices of the spring and early camp, but it will now have to be proven that he can maintain that efficiency when the periods are live and full-contact.

The fact that Chris Rodriguez Jr. got his first team reps during Sunday's practice is a sign that, sooner than later, he will be joining the fray when it comes to the Jaguars' RB1 battle. For Tuten to find an edge in the running back room when it is healthy and whole, then he will have to prove that his exciting offseason and early-camp performance were more than just flashes.

DE B.J. Green

One constant over the first few days of training camp has been the performance of second-year defensive end B.J. Green. He made the roster as a sleeper undrafted free agent a year ago, and he has clearly already taken a massive leap since then. He has been one of the harder Jaguars defenders to block in all of camp, and I am fascinated to see if that continues on Monday and beyond.

"We all believe that there's something in there that is going to continue to show itself and reveal itself. And he's playing with a lot of confidence right now," Liam Coen said after practice on Friday.

"He knows what he's doing more than he ever did. And I've just been so impressed with him specifically in the run game. When we start throwing it more, and we get into more of those situations, and especially pre-season games when we can see him like we did against Miami last year, show up in a good way. But it's been setting edges in the run game and using his hands. Like, he's a guy that uses the technique, I'm not saying to a T, but he does. Like he'll do exactly what you say. You say, ‘Go run through that wall.’ He's going to go, ‘Which one?’ You know?"

Green could be positioning himself for a real part of the Jaguars' defensive line rotation this year if he keeps at this pace. His performance against the run with pads on will likely be the deciding-factor.

OL Wyatt Milum

With the Jaguars taking things slowly with veteran right guard Patrick Mekari in terms of his team reps, it has meant a ton of reps for second-year offensive lineman Wyatt Milum at right guard with the starting offense. For a player who missed out on so many reps last season, there could not be a better chance for Milum to make a statement than while he is getting the top look at guard.

Milum offers a blend of size and explosiveness that not many members of the Jaguars' offensive line have. His upside is legit, and his performance with the pads on could dictate whether the Jaguars feel like they need Mekari back in the lineup soon as possible, or whether they can let the young guard hold the fort down.

LB Ventrell Miller

If there is one Jaguars defender whose game translates more to padded practices than the days of 7-on-7 and passing camp, it is linebacker Ventrell Miller. The fourth-year linebacker has made some plays in coverage over the first few days of training camp, but it is against the run where Miller does his best work. He is a throwback physical linebacker who brings the contact, and pads coming on could be his moment.

Miller has been in an intense battle with Branson Combs for the second starting linebacker spot since the offseason, and here is where he can seemingly start to stand out. If Miller makes enough plays against the run over the next few weeks with pads on, it could help win him the spot in the starting defense.

TEs Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol

JAGUAR — Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Tanner Koziol (89) catches a pass from head coach Liam Coen 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

There are a number of other rookies who could be listed here, such as guard Emmanuel Pregnon and defensive tackle Albert Regis. But the duo I have finishing this list is the Jaguars' pair of rookie tight ends in Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol, who have each flashed here and there in the early days of training camp. With pads on, the expectations are set to rise, and we will see just how much the Jaguars can really lean on the rookie tight ends.

Boerkircher is known as a bully on the line of scrimmage, and he will have to ensure that reputation is legit during his first NFL practices in pads. How Boerkircher handles himself in the run game against the likes of Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, Danny Striggow, and B.J. Green will show us just how ready he is to make a difference in the Jaguars' running game.

As for Koziol, he is a much different player than Boerkircher. He is more of a pure receiver who has legit blocking questions that stem from his college tape, and that is where he will have to prove himself to get on the field. If Koziol is at least serviceable as a blocker, it could be hard to keep him on the sideline as a rookie, because the pass-catching skills look legit.

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