Separating Reality From Fiction From Jaguars' First OTA Practices

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars now have four OTA practices under their belts, and the first steps have been taken toward reclaiming their spot at the top of the AFC South.

But each year when OTA practices roll around, it is important to remember there are some offseason narratives that are, well, just narratives.

liam coe — Jaguars head coach Liam Coen talks with the media after the Jaguars held their fourth OTA of the year, Monday June 1, 2026 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When there are no pads involved and practices look closer to 7-on-7 passing camps than anything else during some team periods, it is important to remember the context of the practice to determine what is real and what is fiction.

So, what performances and stakes do we believe are real from the first few Jaguars OTAs? And which narratives do we believe are closer to fiction than reality? We break it all down below.

What's Real

Brian Thomas Jr.'s Ascent

Yes, it is incredibly too early to proclaim anyone a breakout or bounce-back candidate simply because of a few OTA practices. There are no pads and limited levels of contact allowed, which means it hardly simulates what real snaps will look like in training camp and then of course once Week 1 rolls around. But that doesn't mean we should entirely ignore what Brian Thomas Jr. has shown thus far.

Through a pair of open OTA practices, Thomas has been the most explosive playmaker on the offense and it is obvious the Jaguars have made an effort to get him and Trevor Lawrence on the same page when it comes to testing defenses vertically. Thomas has now caught multiple deep passes, and has done so over each of the Jaguars' top three healthy cornerbacks to this rate.

The upside here is that this is not something that Lawrence and Thomas were doing all that much of ahead of last season. The duo struggled to connect on deep passes throughout training camp a year ago, and this carried over into the regular season as their connection was less efficient and consistent than it had been during Thomas' breakout rookie season.

They will need to maintain this progress, but it very much so looks real right now. It helps that Thomas looks completely healthy after battling injuries last season, as his speed and explosiveness off the line of scrimmage has been at top shape thus far.

Bhayshul Tuten's 2nd-Year Leap

Bhayshul Tuten certainly had some flashes during his rookie season, but there is a reason he has been seen as a big winner in the early stages of OTAs so far. Tuten has always been an explosive and dynamic athlete, but it is fair say that he looks like he is playing faster now than he was at this time last year. Running backs are hard to judge with no pads on, but Tuten looked like things were moving at a quicker pace during his processing during his first year of OTAs.

Now, he looks explosive, purposeful, and potentially ready to take a big leap. The fact the Jaguars have not yet had Chris Rodriguez Jr. on the field at OTAs means Tuten has gotten a lot of chances for reps over the last week-plus, and he seems to have taken advantage of them. He has drawn the praise of head coach Liam Coen, who has not been shy before about the areas he would like to see Tuten improve in.

Value of Another Year in Campanile's Scheme

anthony campanil — Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile talks with the medial after the Jaguars held their 4th OTA of the year, Monday June 1, 2026 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jaguars' offense had a better day on Monday than they had in the week earlier during the first day of OTAs, but one hthing is clear about the Jaguars' defense: they look settled in. The Jaguars' defensive roster ran three different defensive schemes from 2023-2025, and that high amount of change left plenty of players swimming upstream. The value of another year in defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile's system already seems immense.

Jacksonvilles's back seven has already made a lot of plays on the ball in coverage, with the likes of Eric Murray, Preston Hodge, and Montaric Brown recording interceptions through the first two open practices. Jalen Huskey nearly recorded one as well. Even the new-comers seem to be playing well, which has to be the direct result of the comfort and guidance of the veterans they are now paired with.

Anthony Campanile: a football guy pic.twitter.com/wOKCEyJJh4
— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) June 1, 2026

“Very beneficial. Obviously, we’re coming in from doing some of the things we did last year, obviously it's going to be some kind of change up a little bit, but being able to hit the ground running, remembering some of the things that we did last year and just kind of taking what we did last year and building on it," Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker said on Tuesday.

"Not saying doing exactly what we did last year, but taking it and advancing it to the next level. I feel like that kind of helps the team get to where we want to go a little bit faster than we did last year.”

What Isn't Real

Injury Questions

cole van lane — Jul 24, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Cole Van Lanen (70) and guard Sal Wormley (61) participate in training camp at Miller Electric Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Jaguars have had some big names yet to take part in a practice. Travis Hunter has caught a few passes from Trevor Lawrence to the side, but he has not taken part in any team or individual drills to this point, and very likely will not until training camp. Jourdan Lewis has been on the field with the cornerbacks, but he has not participated either. Left tackle Cole Van Lanen and free-agent running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. haven't seen the field yet, either.

Those are some significant names and roles. With that in mind, it is only the first days of June. If the Jaguars are weeks into training camp and still do not have their roster at full strength, that is when concern should be raised. But several of these players are expected back at some point during camp, and Rodriguez is not exactly missing much right now. The Jaguars have time on their side here.

"X is the Jaguars' No. 1 WR"

Big days from both Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr. have increased the debate on who might lead the Jaguars' receiving room, and that does not even involve the inclusion of wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. With that said, the early days of OTAs make this debate seem moot and almost meaningless. The Jaguars are outright telling us that the nature of their offense means they do not need a No. 1 receiver, because the threat of their depth is that defenses must prepare for all of their options.

The Jaguars have spread the ball around a ton through the first few practices of OTAs, especially as it pertains to their starting receiver trio. Thomas has gotten a ton of work as a deep threat and Washington has seen a high volume of passes, while Meyers has still been a favorite of Lawrence in certain situations. Coen himself said this is the direction the offense intends to take.

"The job and goal is to win games, so wherever the ball goes is—I think I saw something over the weekend that we have a problem because we have pass catchers, just trying to have a coffee understanding where that could be an issue, but truly don't care," Coen said on Monday.

"I mean, I appreciate and hope every player gets as many touches and yards and touchdowns and stats as humanly possible. I'd like for every player to get paid and to get new contracts, whether it's here or somewhere else. You want that for guys, but not at the expense of wins and losses. It's just never going to be the case. So, it's always really about spreading the wealth and not just to spread it, but to keep the defense on their toes, not to know where the ball's going to go in certain situations, what down and distances that we’re attacking and who we're targeting in specific down and distances."

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