Everything I Saw at Day 16 of Jaguars Training Camp: Running Game Picks On Panthers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars just wrapped up Wednesday's joint practice with the Carolina Panthers, and it was arguably the best practice of the entire summer.

Despite entering Wednesday's joint practice with some injuries on both sides of the ball, the Jaguars had one of their most heated, energized and physical practices of the entire Liam Coen era. They mostly looked good while doing so, too.

So, what all did we see on Wednesday at the Miller Electric Center? We break it down below.

Running Game Has It's Best Day Yet

I watched mostly the offense during Wednesday's joint practice, and the biggest takeaway I had from the day is that the running game looked good. Really good, even. There were a few hiccups, such as a holding on Nate Boerkircher and a tackle for loss by Jaelan Philips, but the Jaguars' positive flashes from the running game far outpaced the negatives. Trevor Lawrence and Liam Coen both gushed about the running game after practice, with Lawrence saying a few runs might have scored from some serious distance in a real game.

I thought Bhayshul Tuten had his best practice of the summer, and probably of his Jaguars career thus far. He showed shiftyness at the second level, hit holes with authority, and had several runs that hit the second- and third-levels. Chris Rodriguez Jr. was also as advertised against an opposing defense, getting consistent yards after contract up the middle.

The backup running backs flashed, too. Ameer Abdullah sprung a long run against the Panthers' starting defense and looked like the back who will step up with LeQuint Allen injured. J'Mari Taylor also scored a touchdown during red-zone drills after two stellar blocks on the edge from wide receiver Josh Cameron and offensive tackle Kilian Zierer.

The Jaguars set the tone in terms of physicality on the first play from scrimmage, with guards Ezra Cleveland and Emmanuel Pregnon mixing it up in a short scrap with the Panthers defense. The Jaguars punched the Panthers in the mouth in terms of running the ball, which was the most encouraging outcome from the day.

Red-Zone Wins

Trevor Lawrence was perfect in the red-zone, an area that he once struggled in during such practices. Lawrence and the Jaguars had a stellar red-zone offense down the stretch last season however, and that seems like it has carried over to training camp. Lawrence looked as good during the red-zone period as he has all training camp, throwing touchdowns on three consecutive plays against the Panthers' top defense.

The first touchdown was a beauty, with Lawrence manipulating the eyes of Panthers linebacker Devin Lloyd to help spring open tight end Brenton Strange. On the next play, Lawrence moved around to buy some time and hit rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher for an impressive touchdown. Finally, he found Jakobi Meyers streaking over the middle of the end zone and lifted the ball over the head of a defender for the hat trick.

The Jaguars' offense overall had a good day, but it was the red-zone where they looked the very best. Lawrence was dialed in, and the Panthers had some real issues with covering the Jaguars' tight ends over the course of the period. The completion to Boerkircher was promising as well after some quiet practices between the two this summer.

The Back-and-Forth

liam coe — Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen walks on the field during the Jacksonville Jaguars 14th session of NFL Training Camp at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla., Monday, August 17, 2026. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Let me preface this by saying that anyone who proclaims a team "won" a joint practice is doing some all-time sunshine pumping. It is practice after all, and there should be expected to be some wins and losses from both sides. With that said, I came away from practice thinking that it was mostly an even day by the end of practice after the Jaguars jumped all over the Panthers at the start of the day.

The Panthers offense had a few big plays after the first period of team drills, while the Jaguars' offense went 3-and-out on the final drive of the day. At the same time, the Panthers couldn't stop a nosebleed to start the practice, while the Jaguars' defensive line seemed to be hounding Bryce Young every time I looked at the other half of the practice field.

It was a good day of work for both teams, but the Jaguars should feel good. They have had a rough last 7-to-10 days with all of the injuries that have popped up, and they responded by having one of their best practices yet. The atmosphere felt like a game day, too.

Defense Talk

travis hunte — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) jogs on the field during a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers on the 16th session of NFL training camp at the Miller Electric Center on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While I kept most of my notes on the offensive side of the ball, I was still able to catch some reps from the defense while the Panthers and Jaguars staggered their reps on the other side of the field. I also saw the Jaguars' defense force an easy 3-and-out on the final drive of the day after Josh Hines-Allen and Dennis Gardeck recorded back-to-back would-be sacks.

The Jaguars' defensive front seemed to be giving the Panthers issues throughout the day. While the Panthers' offense was better during the second-half of practice with some big plays to Tetairoa McMillan, the Jaguars would have had several sacks on the day. With that in mind, head coach Liam Coen did say after practice that he was disappointed at the lack of takeaways. Through two joint practices, the Jaguars have produced zero turnovers in team drills.

It is also worth noting that Travis Hunter spent most of his day on defense. He got a few reps in team drills on offense but ended up sticking with the defense for the majority of team drills, producing a pass breakup late in practice.

Play of the Day

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to throw during a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers on the 16th session of NFL training camp at the Miller Electric Center on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

There are a few different plays to pick from, but I am going to go with Lawrence's touchdown pass to Meyers. It showed terrific accuracy and anticipation, and it was a throw that I am not sure the Jaguars quarterback would have completed two years ago.

Other Notes

I thought Brian Thomas Jr. had a strong practice. He was the most-targeted Jaguars receiver on the day with Parker Washington out, and he caught every target until the last two. One of those looked like a potential DPI, while the other was an overthrow from Lawrence. Thomas' best play came when settling into a zone over the middle of the field and making an adjustment to catch an off-target pass for a big chunk gain.

Lawrence's lone poor decision of the day came on a throw over the middle of the field to Jakobi Meyers that landed in the hands of Panthers defensive back Nick Scott.

Tanner Koziol had an impressive day. He caught a touchdown from Nick Mullens in the red-zone, and then completely ran over Panthers safety Zakee Wheatley.

CJ Williams made two very impressive catches over the middle of the field, with one coming from Trevor Lawrence and one coming from Nick Mullens.

The starting offensive line was as follows: Anton Harrison, Emmanuel Pregnon, Robert Hainsey, Ezra Cleveland, and Walker Little.

Chirper of the day goes to: Jaguars safety Jalen Huskey. He was really mixing it up with the Panthers. He looked stellar on special teams as well.

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