Ranking Every Jaguars Rookie By Projected Week 1 Impact: Where Nate Boerkircher Lands

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The official NFL debut for the Jacksonville Jaguars' rookies right around the corner.

Eight of the 10 Jaguars' 2026 draft picks and one undrafted free agent made the team's first 53-man roster and will be a part of the squad that takes on the Cleveland Browns at EverBank Stadium in eight days.

So, what role will each Jaguars rookie on the roster play once the Browns come to town for Week 1? We take a look below, ranking their roles from least to most impactful.

No. 9: DE Wesley Williams

I would be a bit surprised if Wesley Williams is active in Week 1. The fourth-round pick flashed at times over the summer, but he seems like he is on the 53-man roster to develop over his first year more than anything else. There are four veteran defensive ends in front of him and I would venture to guess that rookie defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. would be ahead of him on the pecking order too. This makes Williams the sixth edge, which was at times a healthy scratch last year.

No. 8: DL Albert Regis

Albert Regis spent the last few weeks of training camp a bit banged up, and I will be interested to see what his practice participation is listed as once the first injury report of the season comes out next week. But even if the Jaguars do have Regis at 100%, he might be fifth in the defensive tackle pecking order behind other backups Matt Dickerson and Ruke Orhorhoro. His time will come but, like Williams, he seems like a pick made for the future.

No. 7: WR CJ Williams

I think CJ Williams will be active on game day but it is tough to see him getting a ton of run against the Browns. The Jaguars will have both Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers available to them after minor injuries at the end of training camp. Add in Parker Washington, Travis Hunter, and more multiple tight end sets, and there will not be many reps to go around for the backup receivers like Williams. It will likely take an injury in the receiver room for that to change.

No. 6: WR Josh Cameron

The same logic we used for CJ WIlliams can also apply to Josh Cameron, but there are two notable differences. One is the fact that I think we could see Cameron take some snaps on offense as a run-blocker, which could give him at least some semblance of an offensive role. Then there is the fact that Cameron could be a legit option for the Jaguars as either a kick or punt returner, and there is a path toward him playing some snaps.

No. 5: DE Bryan Thomas Jr.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. (57) pressures Carolina Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett (12) in the second quarter 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

It seems clear that in terms of the defensive end pecking order, Bryan Thomas Jr.'s current ceiling for the depth chart is at the No. 5 spot. Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are the clear stars and leaders of the room, while second-year defensive ends B.J. Green and Danny Striggow are the clear backups behind them. With that said, I could still see Thomas getting a few reps on defense as a rotational piece while also contributing on special teams. He has some real juice as a pass-rusher, and there is always the chance the Jaguars want to see it in a real game against starting offensive linemen from a different team.

No. 4: TE Tanner Koziol

This was probably the toughest one for me to slot, and really it came down to me determing whether the Jaguars would run 13 personnel more than they would have Bryan Thomas Jr. on the field at defensive end. I think the answer leans towards the tight end position and Tanner Koziol, which should at least give him a few snaps to make an impact in some fashion. He might not play many downs outside of those packages, but he will see the field if the Jaguars run the formation even once.

No. 3: DB Jalen Huskey

Jalen Huskey really seemed to finish his training camp with some solid momentum, making plays on both defense and special teams over the course of the final few weeks of practice. I think there is a chance that he is either the team's No. 3 safety or that he will split snaps in the role alongside second-year safety Caleb Ransaw. The two performed at a very similar level over the course of training camp, and we know the Jaguars will play with their fair share of safeties no matter what week it is or which offense they are playing. Huskey has a chance to play some legit snaps very early into his rookie season.

No. 2: TE Nate Boerkircher

boertkirche — Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Nate Boerkircher (87) runs the ball 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. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has already pointed out the obvious when it comes to tight end Nate Boerkircher: he is going to play right off the bat. Boerkircher is set to be the Jaguars' second tight end when they go with 12 personnel packages, and Coen has already said before that he is a fan of using 12 to establish mismatches against defenses in both the pass and run game. He might not get a ton of passes thrown his way, but he should play a decent bit. Boerkircher's biggest impact will likely come in the running game, but I am interested to see how his place on the field opens things up for Brenton Strange in the passing game.

No. 1: OL Emmanuel Pregnon

The Jaguars' offensive line seems to be getting its house in order ahead of Week 1, and Emmanuel Pregnon is a big piece of that. The only Jaguars rookie who is projected to be a Week 1 starter, Pregnon looks like the clear-cut top option for the Jaguars at left guard. He did not start camp there, either, so he won the job outright on his own merit. He has been a dominant run-blocker over the summer, and he could be key to how successful the Jaguars run the ball against the Cleveland Browns.

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