Grading the Jaguars: Nick Mullens Leads QB Room in Passing Performance vs. Panthers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- With the Jacksonville Jaguars' 34-17 preseason loss to the Carolina Panthers now in the rearview mirror, it is time to take stock and review which position groups stood out the most.

So, which units get passing grades after the high points of Friday's game against the Panthers? We break it all down below.

QUARTERBACKS: A-

NICK MULLN — Aug 21, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Mullens (14) runs the ball during the first quarter of the preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nick Mullens had maybe his best week as a Jaguar over the last seven days. After a tough outing against the New Orleans Saints last week that had more to do with the offensive line than anything else, Mullens bounced back and had a solid week of practice. He was then 6-of-7 on Friday and would have been 7-for-7 with a touchdown pass were it not for a drop by Ameer Abdullah in the end-zone.

Carter Bradley's lackluster outing does bring the grade down a bit, but the Jaguars also saw Joey Aguilar have a terrific performance with 9-of-10 passing for 130 yards and a touchdown as he took over the second-half. Between Mullens and Aguilar, the Jaguars got some good football from their backups on Friday.

"It felt good. I was out there trying to be super calm and smooth. I still had a lot of mental errors I want to fix and clean up to operate better, but I felt like it was a good experience," Aguilar said after the game. "It was a great time going out there. I appreciate the O-line for finding that edge and grinding it out. So shout out to those guys for coming out the second half, still grinding."

RUNNING BACKS: B

Aug 21, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Carter Bradley (10) hands off to running back Ameer Abdullah (43) in the second half during a preseason game at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As for why this grade is not an A, only two plays come to mind: a fumble from DeeJay Dallas and a dropped touchdown pass from Ameer Abdullah. Otherwise, the performance of Abdullah alone would have been enough for the Jaguars to get a great grade from the backfield. Abdullah was the only one of the three running backs who really produced, but he sent a big message while doing so.

"I thought he showed up tonight and it’s what we’ve seen in practice. You talk about a pro’s pro, a guy who does everything right," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said after the game. "He’s one of the first guys in the building, along with Parker (Washington). He takes care of himself, treats himself right in terms of his body and getting his mind right for practice every day. And he was able to show up tonight and look a little better than everyone else."

WIDE RECEIVERS: A

Aug 21, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver CJ Williams (18) runs the ball against the Carolina Panthers in the first quarter during a preseason game at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars' wide receiver room was really, really sharp on Friday. Josh Cameron made a big grab downfield, CJ Williams caught every single one of his targets and looked as reliable as ever, and the Jaguars also got big plays out of undrafted rookie receivers like Michael Wortham and Trebor Peña. It was a less productive night for Austin Trammell, who caught one of five passes for five yards, but it was overall an exciting showing from the Jaguars' young wideouts.

TIGHT ENDS: C-

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Hunter Long (84) can’t hold onto a touchdown pass in the second quarter during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium in the second preseason game on Friday night, August 21, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

For the second week in a row, it felt like a very forgetable night for the tight end room. Nate Boerkircher did not play, while Tanner Koziol only played 13 snaps before being sat for the night. Through two games, the Jaguars' tight end room has combined for two catches for seven yards. It has just been that quiet for them to this point.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: C+

Aug 21, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Ricky Lee (66) during the first quarter of the preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It felt like the Jaguars' offensive line had a much better outing on Friday compared to the first week of the preseason against the New Orleans Saints. The Jaguars allowed one sack and three quarterback hits but Liam Coen said after the game that he was happy with the way the protection held up, especially considering the unit that played the whole game was made up of the Jaguars' third-team offensive line. The lack of running lanes for DeeJay Dallas and J'Mari Taylor does impact the grade, however.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: C

I thought that the Jaguars got some good reps out of the early group of B.J. Green, Danny Striggow, and Ruke Orhorhoro. After that, it felt like the Jaguars' pass-rush just didn't have time to get to the quarterback at the speed that the Panthers got the ball out of their hands. The biggest knock to the grade here is the fact that the Panthers averaged 5.3 yards a carry and were able to get some chunk gains on the ground.

LINEBACKERS: B-

Aug 21, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Ventrell Miller (51) before the start of the preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I thought it was mostly a solid showing for the Jaguars' linebackers. The backups made a few plays against the run and as blitzers, while Ventrell Miller had a strong showing in limited snaps to start the game. There were just a few miscues, such as a Yasir Abdullah missed tackle and a run rep by Branson Combs, but Combs also had some positive flashes as well. Consider Dennis Gardeck and Foyesade Oluokun didn't play, this was a good night for the linebackers.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: C-

Aug 21, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars safety Rayuan Lane III (25) is introduced before a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I do not think the Panthers threw the ball all over the yard against the Jaguars; the Panthers' three quarterbacks completed 24-of-35 passes (68.6%), but a lot of it was dinking and dunking. With that said, there just wasn't a big play made from the secondary as the Panthers went with a soft passing game. The second-team secondary couldn't really run with Tetairoa McMillan, but that was always to be expected -- especially after his performance in joint practice earlier in the week.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B+

Aug 21, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars place kicker Cam Little (39) kicks a field goal held by punter Logan Cooke (9) against the Carolina Panthers in the fourth quarter during a preseason game at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cam Little has been very reliable for the Jaguars, while Ross Matiscik nearly forced a big fumble on coverage teams. With that said, it does feel like the Jaguars have been a bit quiet so far in the kick return game. The Jaguars averaged 23.8 yards per kick return compared to 30.5 averaged kick return yards from the Panthers. As we saw from the Saints game, that is one area the depth of the roster has to be better.

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