Good and Not So Good From Day 6 of Jaguars Training Camp: Trevor Lawrence Struggles

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- After six practices in seven days, the Jacksonville Jaguars have seemingly found the right time for a break.

Tuesday's practice marked Day 6 of training camp for the Jaguars, and it was a mostly lopsided affair as the defense pushed around the offense for much of the day. It felt like the first true Dog Day of camp, and as if the offense could not wait for Wednesday to roll around.

So, what were the ups and downs from practice on Tuesday? We break it down below.

The Good

The Secondary

eric murra — Jacksonville Jaguars safety Eric Murray (29) and safety Antonio Johnson (6) drill during the first day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars' secondary deserves a lot of credit for how they have played thus far in training camp. Even against a top-notch receiver room that, through the first five days of camp, had made big plays in every single practice, the Jaguars' defensive backs have never really seemed overmatched. Instead, it has felt more like an even back-and-forth between the Jaguars' cover defenders and their top pass-catchers. That is other than on Tuesday, of course.

On Tuesday, the Jaguars' secondary completely smothered the Jaguars' passing game. There were several team drills where the Jaguars' top two quarterbacks had to either throw a ball in the dirt to kill a play or held onto the ball far longer than anyone on offense wanted. With interceptions from Antonio Johnson, Eric Murray, and Jarrian Jones, this was as good of a day as the secondary has had all camp.

AJ DAY AJ DAY@Dream_Finders | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/Ud7LjXvjeH
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 4, 2026

“Yeah, I think they've just continued to grow from last year. All those guys, Jarrian [Jones], Antonio [SJohnson], and then Eric [Murray] and Jourdan [Lewis] and their leadership and what they've been able to do for some of those young guys like Caleb [Ransaw], Rayuan [Lane III], I think Jalen Huskey, [CB] Jabbar Muhammad," defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said after practice.

"And all those guys, Buster [Brown], how they've all improved over time. It's great to see, because I think Matt [Defensive Pass Game Coordinator Mathieu Araujo] and I have a very, very similar coaching style. We’ve kind of coached together for a long time and we're damn near like brothers, you know? It's good to see them, and I think he's doing a great job with them.”

Tem Lukabu

It is time to start giving Jaguars linebackers coach Tem Lukabu his flowers. He helped oversee a strong unit a year ago that got big plays out of Foyesade Oluokun and Dennis Gardeck and an All-Pro level season from Devin Lloyd. Lloyd is now gone and the Jaguars didn't really make any moves to replace him, but Lukabu still has the Jaguars' linebacker room playing at a high level during the early days of camp.

Second-year linebacker Branson Combs has impressed since the offseason program began, and he had another big day on Tuesday with a pass breakup and a stellar downfield coverage rep against Parker Washington. Ventrell Miller has made plays against the run, and seventh-round linebacker Parker Hughes looked fluid in coverage on Tuesday. Campanile is largely considered to be the Jaguars' resident linebacker guru, but perhaps we need to give Lukabu more credit for the work of his position. The Jaguars made a big bet there by letting Lloyd walk, but Lukabu's unit has had very few people asking about the plan to replace him,

Help From a Legend

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile coaches during 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

The Jaguars have gotten help from a coaching legend in recent days. Long-time defensive line mastermind Pete Jenkins, who spent decades as the top defensive line coach in the SEC, has been at Jaguars practices for the last few days, working closely with Campanile and the Jaguars' defensive linemen. In terms of sources of knowledge, there might not be many that are more vast than Jenkins..

"He's kind of been everywhere I've been since I was in Miami, and like he's the G.O.A.T. So much of what I believe comes from Coach, and he's honest. He comes in here, and he's ripping my ass and ripping everybody, he's just telling the truth," Campanile said. "We got him in here kind of just watching everything, making sure we're doing a great job with the drills and training the guys the right way. He's done a pretty good job for all the teams in the SEC the last 10, what, 20 years, 30 years. So having him here, I know it is going to help us.”

Campanile has a deep rolodex of relationships, in large part because of the fact that he has spent extensive time in both college and the NFL. But the addition of Jenkins as a guest at Jaguars practices has been one of the most impressive connections Campanile has brought to Duval.

The Not So Good

Trevor Lawrence and the Passing Game

There have been some days in training camp where it feels like Trevor Lawrence and the passing game simply can not miss. Tuesday was ... not one of those days. In fact, I believe Lawrence had more passes land several yards in front of his intended target than he had actual completions during team drills, which is indicative of a passing game that struggled to find its footing against a strong secondary. Lawrence has been mostly sharp throughout camp, but Tuesday was one of his worst days not just in the 2026 camp, but in quite some time.

Some of this feel like it needs to be accounted for by simply being a nod to the defense for playing well. But the Jaguars need their passing game to drive the offense this season, and they can not fall into lulls like they did at the start of 2025. Today felt like one of those days for Lawrence and for his wide receiver unit.

Also ... the Running Game

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands off to running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) during the fifth day of NFL training camp at the Miller Electric Center on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Today marked the first full‑pads practice. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars boasted the best run defense in the entire NFL last season, so it is always going to be a struggle to move the ball against them on the ground. With that said, the Jaguars' struggles to run the ball against the starting defense have been evident even since the start of camp when the pads were not on, and they have only increased in the last two days since things have gotten more real.

The Jaguars did not have Chris Rodriguez Jr. to give them the tough yards up the middle since he had a scheduled off day, but it was jarring to see the lack of ground success without him. If the Jaguars sustain a single injury at running back this year, their depth could be trouble.

Another LB Injury

JARED BARTLETT — Jacksonville Jaguars Linebacke Jared Bartlett (45) gets directions during the fourth day of NFL Training Camp in shells at the Miller Electric Center on Sunday, August 2, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

On one hand, the Jaguars have had some good injury luck at the start of training camp since only two plays have registered new injuries. On the other hand, both of those injuries have come at an already shallow linebacker spot, creating potential issues for the Jaguars. Jack Kiser has not practced in a week, and new linebacker Jared Bartlett was carted off on Tuesday during special teans drills.

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