5 Jaguars Whose Numbers Will Be Even Better in 2026: Brian Thomas Leads the Way

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The 2026 season is right around the corner, and the Jacksonville Jaguars have hopes and goals as big as they have ever had.

That hope is largely the result of the fantastic season the Jaguars had a year ago, going 13-4 in the first year of the Liam Coen/James Gladstone/Tony Boselli era and seeing several Jaguars have career seasons and breakout performances.

But which Jaguars are bound to have even better performances in 2026? Whose production should take the biggest leap? From players who need to have bounce-back performances to players who are in the perfect situations for career-best years, we break it down below.

WR Brian Thomas Jr.

This one feels like the most obvious, for a number of reasons. In 14 games last year, Thomas caught 48 passes for 707 yards and two touchdowns -- all numbers he should be expected to surpass in 2026, even with the Jaguars having a deep pass-catcher group alongside him with Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, Brenton Strange, and Travis Hunter.

Thomas' dip in production last year was due to a number of factors, and perhaps the most critical was the fact that he was injured for much of the season. With Thomas healthy and now no longer going to be shoehorned into a role over the middle of the field, he should be expected to top his figures from last season based off that context alone.

The fact that Thomas was the unquestioned MVP of the offseason doesn't hurt, either. Thomas and quarterback Trevor Lawrence finally got back on the same page during the offseason program, connecting several times downfield after the duo struggled to do so throughout the 2025 offseason and regular-season. If they have their 2024 chemistry back, Thomas will make more big plays rather easily.

DE Travon Walker

Another player whose 2025 season was greatly impacted by injuries was star defensive end Travon Walker. Walker signed a massive deal this offseason, evidence of the Jaguars' confidence in his production rebounding now that he will not be limited by the wrist and knee injuries that slowed him down a year ago. But even with those injuries, Walker still made an impact against the run and as a pass-rusher down the stretch.

With Walker now healthy, he should get much closer to the sack production he had in 2023 and 2024 when he hit double-digit sacks than a year ago when he had 3.5 sacks. Walker's injuries kicked in during Week 4 last year, but the performances he had in the weeks leading up were incredibly impressive. If he can do that over a 17-game stretch, then Walker's numbers should reflect his previous performances.

The Jaguars will badly need Walker to make that kind of impact this season. All signs, though, point to it happening, which should alone help make the Jaguars a better pass-rushing defense than the version we saw throughout the 2025 season when he was injured.

DB Antonio Johnson

It would not be easy for Antonio Johnson, or any safety, to replicate the numbers he had a year ago. Last season, Johnson was one of the most impactful safeties in the entire NFL, recording five interceptions, two sacks, and nine pass breakups. With that said, Johnson does have a chance to be on the field a good bit more in his contract season, which should give him a chance to reach even bigger numbers if he can take another step.

Johnson played a career-high 60% of the defensive snaps last season, but he entered the year as the No. 4 safety behind Eric Murray, Andrew Wingard, and Darnell Savage. Once Savage was released, the Jaguars promoted Johnson to the No. 3 safety role and he began to play more as Anthony Campanile frequently deployed three-safety looks. Due to injuries, Johnson also went on to start a career-high nine games.

But in 2026, there is no Wingard in the lineup, and the rest of the Jaguars' safety room outside of Johnson and Murray are in their rookie or second seasons. Johnson should be expected to start 17 games as long as he stays healthy, and the largest and most important role of his career should bring even more production.

K Cam Little

Cam Little broke NFL and franchise records a year ago, so having an even better year than that would certainly be the kind of performance that could bring a Pro Bowl or All-Pro nod. But the way Little ended the season has helped put beside the fact that, before his record-breaking kick against the Las Vegas Raiders, Little was in a big of a rough patch to start the season.

Little missed four field goals in the first six weeks of the season, including missed kicks that could have cost the Jaguars in close wins against the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans. He eventually rebounded and made 20 field goals in a row to end the regular-season, a reflection of the elite talent that he has.

Due to his early misses, though, he finished the year with an 88.2% field goal percentage, almost five percentage points down from his rookie season. I expect that number to be better this season and closer to the 93.1% rate he had in his first season.

RB Bhayshul Tuten

jacksonville jaguar — Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) and quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) celebrate a touchdown by teammate Brian Thomas Jr. against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bhayshul Tuten does not have the RB1 job in Jacksonville yet; it remains to be seen if anyone will really have it in the wake of Travis Etienne leaving in free agency for the New Orleans Saints. But even if Tuten does not dominate the backfield in terms of touches in 2026, it is hard to imagine any scenario where he does not play more (21% of snaps as a rookie) or get more tocuhes (6.2 touches per game as a rookie).

Tuten had a clearly defined role as a rookie while Etienne dominated the backfield in terms of both snaps and touches, but the Jaguars will need him to be more than a short-yardage back in 2026. Regardless of who leads the Jaguars in carries, Tuten's numbers should be a good bit better in 2026 than they were a year ago.

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