5 Jaguars Entering Make-or-Break Years in 2026

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A year ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars had several names entering make-or-break seasons. Thanks to a 13-4 record and an AFC South title, a lot more players were made than broke.

Players such as Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, and Devin Lloyd all answered serious questions by responding with career seasons. Former backups became key starters, and young players saw their roles expand to new heights.

So, which Jaguars are facing similar questions entering 2026? We take a look below, while we mind you that not each inclusion on this list is with a negative connotation. Some players simply have so much at stake this year that the season is all the more important to them.

WR Brian Thomas Jr.

A year after Brian Thomas Jr. looked like a legit top-10 receiver as a rookie, his sophomore campaign was nowhere near as fruitful. There are reasons and context that help explain it, such as his shifting role in the offense and a change in surrounding weaponry, but the numbers took such a negative step that it is hard to say there isn't pressure on Thomas entering the offseason. The Jaguars have thrown their support behind Thomas time and time again, but it is clear he has to produce next season.

After ranking No. 7 amongst qualifying receivers in yards per route in 2024, Thomas dropped all the way down to No. 44 this season according to NextGenStats. The downfield plays were eliminated from a year before, and Thomas looked more like a auxiliary piece than he did an alpha No. 1 receiver. That has to change in 2026.

LB Ventrell Miller

Entering a key contract season, Jaguars linebacker Ventrell Miller will have just 702 career defensive snaps under his belt. For context, Devin Lloyd played 706 defensive snaps for the Jaguars last season. With Lloyd more likely than not to enter free agency next March, there is a real chance the Jaguars will need Miller to step into a key role for, really, the first time since he was drafted in 2023.

Miller has played well for the Jaguars in spot starts over the last two seasons, but starting as a full-time player is a different story. So is replacing Lloyd, who was a second-team All-Pro this past season thanks to his play-making ability. If Miller doesn't take advantage, his greatest window yet at becoming a long-term piece will be gone.

OL Anton Harrison

After a strong rookie season, perhaps no Jaguars player took a more disappointing step back in 2024 than Anton Harrison. The former first-round pick had some tough performances in the final year of the Doug Pederson era, and the Jaguars made their expectations clear once Liam Coen and a new regime were installed. Coen quickly made it a point to say in public that the Jaguars simply wanted more from Harrison in 2025.

Harrison responded in a big way, having arguably the best year of his career. He made several impressive plays as a blocker in space to set up success in the running game, and his pass-blocking efficiency numbers all climbed considerably from a year before. After looking like a question mark, Harrison turned into a building block and he is now essentially playing for his next deal. Now, he will have to do it again in his fourth season -- giving him the chance to make a serious statement ahead of contract negotiations.

DL Maason Smith

A former second-round pick who struggled to find the field as a rookie, not much changed for Maason Smith in the sophomore effort. Smith was injured for most of training camp and didn't have a long runway to get himself ready ahead of the season. And once he was back on the field, he was seemingly buried in the Jaguars' depth chart and he never really recovered. Now, Smith will likely have to earn his spot on the roster in training camp, a stark reality for where his Jaguars career has gone.

The Jaguars need more difference-makers in the middle of the unit, and there was certainly hope that Smith could be an internal option to become that player. But the further we get from Smith's draft, the less it appears he is an answer. This could be his final chance to prove that he might be one for the Jaguars.

OL Patrick Mekari

The biggest free agent the Jaguars signed a year ago, Patrick Mekari had a so-so first year for the Jaguars. He battled injuries throughout the season and never seemed to really settle in, while the Jaguars got the versatility and depth from Cole Van Lanen that they seemed to envision Mekari being able to provide.

The Jaguars have options at guard moving forward with Wyatt Milum and perhaps even Walker Little, and that is before the draft, where the Jaguars might find even more interior offensive linemen to build their roster up with. To defeat the Jaguars' non-stop committment to building the offensive line, Mekari will need to step up.

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