6 Jaguars With Most at Stake Entering Training Camp: Travis Hunter Takes Focus

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- With training camp just a few more weeks away, it is an appropriate time to take stock on all things regarding the Jacksonville Jaguars' roster.

We have already discussed which members of the roster we believe are not getting talked about enough ahead of camp, and now we take it a different direction: which Jaguars have the most at stake once training camp rolls around? We break down a few names who fit best below.

CB/WR Travis Hunter

What kind of role will Travis Hunter really play in 2026? That is perhaps the biggest question facing the entire franchise as they move into training camp next month, and I am of the belief that there might not be an answer until we see him on the practice field for an extended period of time. All signs point to the Jaguars once again leaning on him on both sides of the ball, but the exact split and how close he is to being a full-time player on offense and defense remains to be determined.

If Hunter is able to step into camp right off his injury and look like the CB1 he is expected to be, while still making plays when at receiver, then prrepare for a rocket to be attached to his hype and likely his role as a whole. There are still a lot of qyuestions that remain when it come to Hunter and how the Jaguars will use him, and training camp is where the answers will start to appear.

LB Ventrell Miller

Ventrell Miller certainly looks like the most likely replacement for Devin Lloyd at linebacker, which would mean he is entering a contract year as a first-time starter. That means 2026 could be an important year for him, with a chance to start providing him a chance to cash-in big once March rolls around.

But for Miller to truly have that chance, he will first have to earn it on the practice field at training camp. Just because he is the favorite to replace Lloyd does not mean that he is just going to be given the job, and he will have to outright win it against the likes of rising second-year linebacker Branson Combs and rookie linebacker Parker Hughes first.

RB Bhayshul Tuten

tuten jaguar — Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) returns a kick off return during the first quarter in an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bills lead 10-7 at the half over the Jaguars. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

With Travis Etienne off to the New Orleans Saints, it feels like a foregone conclusion that Bhayshul Tuten will be handling an expanded role in 2026. But just how much bigger of a role will it be likely depends on how Tuten performs when him and Chris Rodriguez Jr. are finally sharing the practice field and are able to be compared to one another.

We got zero clarity on the Jaguars' running back split this offseason because, while Tuten did impress during the offseason program, Rodriguez missed the spring with an injury. Rodriguez is expected to be back for training camp, however, which means the stage will finally be set for him and Tuten to duke it out to see who will truly lead the Jaguars' backfield.

That means the range of outcomes for Tuten likely goes from role player on one end to lead back on the other. That is a lot of carries and snaps that are set to be at stake for the second-year running back, but all signs thus far are that he will not go quietly.

OL Walker Little

Who knows what the Jaguars' Week 1 offensive line will look like when the Cleveland Browns come into town. A few spots seem obvious, one or two spots might be up for grabs between veterans and younger options, and then there is the left tackle spot. If Cole Van Lanen is healthy, it feels safe to say he is the Jaguars' left tackle of the present and the future. The issue is that we do not know exactly when that will be.

The Jaguars have said the expectation is that Van Lanen will be back at some point in training camp, but that is a large window. If he comes back later in camp and still needs time to adjust, then the Jaguars will badly need to lean on veteran tackle Walker Little. For Little, that means the start of camp and beyond could be his best chance yet to prove his worth to the new regime, and be considered for another spot somewhere on the line when Van Lanen does actually return to the lineup.

OL Patrick Mekari

A year ago, Patrick Mekari was the biggest fish the Jaguars' new regime landed in their first-ever free-agency class. Now, it remains to be seen whether Mekari is the Jaguars' best option moving forward at right guard, or if instead second-year offensive lineman Wyatt Milum might be worth an extended look at the spot. Mekari can make an impact regardless, but the difference between starting right guard and utility man is significant.

Mekari should be expected to be in lead position to be the Jaguars' starting guard, but he is also not in the same position as Anton Harrison at right tackle or Robert Hainsey at center, each of whom is an unquestioned starter. The sheer fact that it looks like Mekari has to actively win his job instead of just being named the Week 1 starter shows why he has plenty at stake once training camp is here.

DE Danny Striggow

I have said before that I think Danny Striggow has the inside track to the Jaguars' No. 3 defensive end role, which is exactly why Striggow also lands on this list. The Jaguars' second-year defensive tackle stood out in a limited, rotational role a year ago, but training camp is when he will have to start to really prove that he can handle more on his plate. Whether he can or not will answer a big question facing the Jaguars' defense as a whole.

If Striggow is able to show early on in training camp that yes, he did take a big step forward in his development, the Jaguars would likely feel pretty comfortable about their pass-rush depth between him, Dennis Gardeck as an underrated edge rusher, and another year of development from fellow second-year defender B.J. Green.

But if Striggow fails to capitalize on what looks like genuine momentum for the third spot, perhaps we then see the Jaguars add an outside name or instead turn to Green or one of their two rookie defensive ends. That would be a very different outcome for Striggow in terms of playing time, which shows just how much he has at stake when it comes to camp.

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