7 Early Thoughts as Jaguars Rookies Report for Training Camp

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars will have their rookies report for training camp on Saturday, setting the stage for the first day of practice on Wednesday.

So with the Jaguars rookie class now in the building, it is an appropiate time to rattle off a few thoughts and takes on the 2026 Jaguars before things get real. With that said, here are 10 early thoughts on the Jaguars with the start of camp just a few days away.

This Year's Camp Should Look Much Different

liam coe — Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, right, talks with General Manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars James Gladstone, left and executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli after the second day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in Jacksonville. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Last year's training camp was a lot of new. A new coaching staff with a rookie head coach, a rookie defensive coordinator, a rookie offensive coordinator and, well, you get the picture. That meant training camp looked considerably different than it had in the past few years, with more emphasis put on best-on-best drills between the first-team offenses and defenses.

I think training camp this year will look quite a bit different again. Coen and his staff know what they like and what works well, but there have also been two key additions made in run game coordinator Brian Picucci and defensive pass game coordinator Mathieu Araujo . They will certainly add their own flavors to practice.

Then there are the joint practices, with the Jaguars set to host both the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers after one joint practice on the road a year ago. Different is good, and the Jaguars are still evolving.

I Predict James Gladstone Adds a New Face

It has been a quiet offseason for the Jaguars and general manager James Gladstone, who made several big swings during his first year at the helm. Gladstone still made some important moves, but it was clear that the Jaguars had a different approach to this year's offseason compared to their first year building the roster.

With that said, I do think it has been a bit too quiet for too long. I think Gladstone is going to add a veteran face over the course of training camp, whether it be a veteran free agent, a trade, or whatever you want to call it. The Jaguars still have a few clear needs, and there are options out there that Gladstone and the Jaguars can explore. He was busy at this time last year, and I believe it happens again this year.

Parker Washington's Deal

The state of Parker Washington's contract situation is an interesting storyline with just a few days to go before camp. I have logged my prediction a few times that Washington signs a new deal with the team before Week 1 vs. the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 13. That is still seven weeks away, so there is plenty of time for something to happen before then.

While Washington and the Jaguars are coming up quick on the first day of training camp without a deal in place, I would not look too much into it. They showed with the Jakobi Meyers and Cole Van Lanen deals that they are willing to get deals hammered out in-season, which means there should be no rushed timeline with Washington, either.

The Most Underrated Roster Battle Will Be ...

There are not many starting jobs open for the Jaguars as training camp is about to start, with the two main areas of focus being the battles between Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Bhayshul Tuten at running back and Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs at linebacker. That means most of the key battles will come at other levels of the depth chart.

The battle I am most interested in right now is at cornerback between Jabbar Muhammad and Christian Braswell. It has a great story, with Braswell being the experienced veteran who has earned the staff's trust, and Muhammad being the young up-and-comer who proved himself over the offseason program. This one is too close to call right now.

Injury News

cole van lane — Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Cole van Lanen (70) reacts to a stop during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7, capturing the AFC South title. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars had several big names end the season with injuries, which means that the state of the Jaguars' injury list at the start of camp will likely feature a few big names. Travis Hunter looks like he is getting closer and closer to returning, which means the other names to watch are left tackle Cole Van Lanen, running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., and cornerback Jourdan Lewis.

This is the time of year where teams start announcing which players will start the year on the PUP list, so that will be something to watch at the start of camp. The Jaguars were not close to 100% against the Buffalo Bills in the playoff, so we will see how close they are to it to start camp.

Travis Hunter Watch

The last time we saw Travis Hunter at 100%, the No. 2 pick was putting together his first-ever 100-yard receiving game in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Rams. A knee injury in practice a few weeks later would end Hunter's rookie year right when it seemed like it was about to get going, and he has been battling rehab intensely since then.

Hunter has clearly made great strides in his recovery and it appears that it will be much sooner rather than later when he returns at full-strength. The two-way star's role will be picked apart each week, but all that really matters for the Jaguars is that he is back and ready to go for Week 1 against the Browns. I am fascinated to see what the next few weeks look like for him.

The Rookie I am Looking Forward to Watching

GLADSTON — Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone talks to tight end Nate Boerkircher (87) 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

While the Jaguars' 2026 draft class might not have gotten much fanfare nationally, quite a few rookies stood out to me during the offseason program. Day 3 pass-catchers Josh Cameron, CJ Williams, and Tanner Koziol all made highlight-level plays over the course of the offseason program, and it became hard to not be impressed by the physical tools of Emmanuel Pregnon and Zach Durfee.

With that said, one rookie who we simply did not see much of during the offseason program was No. 56 pick Nate Boerkircher. The second-round pick missed a few practice days and had a relatively quiet spring, which makes me excited to see him establish himself in training camp. When pads come on are when I will really key in on Boerkircher, who is expected to make an impact on the line of scrimmage out of the gate.

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