Jaguars Mailbag: Defining 2026 Expectations and Pre-Training Camp Thoughts

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- School is out for the summer. For now, at least.

The Jacksonville Jaguars broke for the summer break with the conclusion to their eventful offseason program last week and all eyes are now on next month's training camp. There is quite a bit of time until camp breaks in late July, and now is a chance for us to kick back and reflect on what we've seen, what is coming up, and what we expect.

We break all of this and more down below in this week's Jaguars mailbag.

What is John shipments opinion of what will happen in 2026?

Better, same or worse?
— ItsIanDee (@ItsIanDee) June 24, 2026

A: John Shipment would have been a fantastic nickname for me in my little league days, because I delivered with walks and hits by pitches. With that said, I honestly expect the Jaguars to be a better team.

I think a full year of Travis Hunter at cornerback, a faster and younger secondary than what the Jaguars deployed last year, and another year under Anthony Campanile will do wonders for the defense. As for the offense, I think Trevor Lawrence is in store for a special season in his second year under Liam Coen. He has the stability around him in both coaching and supporting cast that he has never had before.

Does that mean they go 13-4 or better? That I am less sure of. I did my projections for the Jaguars when the schedule came out and predicted a 12-5 record. Would going 12-5 with a first place schedule mean the Jaguars were worse than 13-4? I do not think so, and I think that is a more likely scenario than the alternative.

After Kyle Pitts new 3yr $54M / $36M gntd, you think Jax more or less likely to extend Strange preseason? https://t.co/no0n8VSVIW
— Sea&Ski (@PalmTreeSki) June 23, 2026

A: Fun question, and one that I plan to tackle more in-depth in its own space. With that in mind, I do think the other looming deals at tight end such as Brock Bowers contribute to the timing. Bowers will likely not get paid until next summer, but the Jaguars should get in front of it now and ensure Strange's deal isn't impacted in any way by any post-Pitts deals, in my eyes.

How much would you pay Parker per year right now?
— Ed Henry (@shakes346) June 23, 2026

A: What do I think the Jaguars could make an argument for, and what I would personally pay him right now, could be two different things until he goes out there and produces once again during the 2026 season. With that said, I think north of the $23 million that Christian Watson is currently on the books for with the Green Bay Packers makes a lot of sense.

In your opinion, which WR will have the best season in 2026?
— d o g (@FFDynastyDog) June 23, 2026

A: My personal belief is that Parker Washington is the most likely to lead them in receptions and yards, while Brian Thomas Jr. might be my pick to lead them in touchdowns. This is an offense that is going to be truly committed to spreading the ball around, though, and I think they may be easier to project week-by-week instead of from a big picture point of view.

I think this will make the Jaguars a bit of a mystery to figure out until we actually see them take the field again in this dynamic, but that also seems to be kind of the point of everything the Jaguars are doing. Add in Travis Hunter and Brenton Strange as other factors in the passing game and I envision headaches for defensive coordinators and fantasy football managers.

If the Vita Vea situation deteriorates with Tampa, would you consider making a play for him?
— hfjaguarphile (@hfaudiophile) June 23, 2026

A: I think Vita Vea is amazing; seeing him completely dominate the Jaguars during a 2024 joint practice is something I will never forget. With that said, I do think at this point the Jaguars are better off still riding into the year with DaVon Hamilton as a relatively big value, considering the level of run defense he offers them.

Do you think the DB room has improved significantly enough to be helpful to our pass rush? We lacked the ability to get the passer in the dirt in the playoffs which cost us, and we didn't add a pash rushing 3T. Basically, did we improve our inability to sack the QB enough?
— Sweet (@DTWD4L) June 23, 2026

A: I do think it will be a better defensive back room. I think a healthy Travis Hunter is a big upgrade over Greg Newsome, while Antonio Johnson is a significant upgrade over Andrew Wingard. With the pieces around them being Jourdan Lewis, Jarrian Jones, Eric Murray, and a soon-to-debut Caleb Ransaw, the Jaguars are set to be especially versatile and athletic entering this year compared to last season.

They do have too much riding on Ruke Orhorhoro providing a boost, however. I think Orhorhoro is a good player and will help them, but the Jaguars did not make many other changes to their pass-rush outside that. It is fair to wonder how productive they will be until we see it happen, however.

If you could bring back one former Jaguar, but still current player to help with the upcoming season, who'd it be?
— Chevy Jas (@ChevyJas) June 23, 2026

A: Calais Campbell. He was an absolute monster for the Jaguars and I feel like he would be the perfect fit for Anthony Campanile considering the way he uses defensive linemen. Imagine Campbell next to Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker and Arik Armstead? That would be even better than the 2017 group, I believe.

In a loaded WR room, how do you see the rookie wr draft picks finding openings in the rotation?
— SportsForumHQ (@RecruitCPHS) June 24, 2026

A: It will be tough. I think certain situations such as special teams and run blocking will be critical. But otherwise, I think it is more likely you do not see either of the rookie receivers play that much early on unless the Jaguars deal with any injuries.

Has striggow stood out as the clear DE3 or is that spot still up for grabs
— PaPa NoSleeves of Arrakis (@realnotandrew) June 24, 2026

A: I think every spot is still up for grabs to a degree because of the lack of pads to this point, but I would be surprised if Striggow is now their No. 3 defensive end. I think they trust him, he is due to take a step forward, and his power vs. the run means he will have no issues finding the field.

What are your thoughts on how the linebacker room shapes out. Are they the weakest position group on defense. If they aren't, which group is?
— DuuuvalSC (@JustinKopcho) June 24, 2026

I think Ventrell Miller wins the job over Branson Combs, while Jalen McCleod and Jack Kiser take the backup jobs behind Dennis Gardeck and Foyesade Oluokun. I do think it is the weakest defensive room based on the pure level of inexperience, which is the hurdle they will have to clear moving forward.

What, if anything, might Jags fans have learned anything about the fan game from various World Cup nations?
— Ed Helinski 🇺🇸🇵🇱 🌴 (@MrEd315) June 24, 2026

A: My biggest takeaway from the World Cup in terms of Jacksonville-related topics is that it would be incredible to see Duval host a game of these magnitudes at the Stadium of the Future, which I believe is very much feasible once it comes to life in the not-so-distant future. But overall from the fans, I think that you have seen the pure love of sport and community that I have seen over and over from Jaguars fans since I began covering the team. It is a special connection and one I do not believe is taken for granted.

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