With the offseason, along with OTAs and minicamp now behind us, who were the biggest winners on this Jacksonville Jaguars’ roster?
Defining who “won” this offseason can be done in a few different ways. It can be accomplished by a player taking advantage of the opportunities that come their way, or in the impact that an offseason addition or departure has on the rest of the roster.
We explore each of those avenues as we look back at how the last few months have unfolded for the Jaguars. And, of course, the caveat here is that just because someone was a “winner” in the offseason, it doesn’t mean they will be in training camp.
Here are six winners from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offseason.
QB Trevor Lawrence
Just about every move made this offseason was with Trevor Lawrence in mind. That started when the team hired Liam Coen as the head coach, who brings a Sean McVay-esque scheme to Jacksonville. This system is built on multiplicity and throwing a variety of different looks at opposing defenses to keep them guessing and off balance. Around the NFL, numerous quarterbacks have had success in this scheme.
In addition to bringing in Coen, GM James Gladstone reshaped the offensive line unit by bringing in six new players between free agency and the NFL draft. Gladstone also added a lot more speed to this unit with the additions of Dyami Brown, Travis Hunter, and Bhayshul Tuten.
“I really like it,” Lawrence said of Coen’s offense. “It has a lot of answers. It’s great. It puts a lot on the players, you have to know your stuff, but it gives you all the answers.
“You don’t feel like you’re stuck in a play that’s not set up for success,” Lawrence added. “We change the presentation a lot. We make a lot of things look the same. Without going into too much detail, there’s a lot of things I like about it.”
WR Brian Thomas Jr.
In this Coen offense, we are going to see Thomas’ role, in terms of what he’s asked to do, expand. We will see more of Thomas lining up in the slot and also attacking different levels of the field, while doing so in a variety of ways with his combination of size, speed, and route running abilities. This can then help create additional mismatches for Thomas to exploit.
Along with the schematic changes, adding Brown and Hunter to the mix gives the Jaguars the flexibility to use Thomas in a different capacity–not to mention that the presence of those two can help take some of the focus off Thomas.
Jaguars’ running backs
In reshaping the offensive line this offseason, the Jaguars have added quite a bit of versatility up front and a lot more competition.
Throughout offseason programs, the Jaguars reportedly did quite a bit of mixing and matching up front as they search for their best offensive line configuration. I’m sure Coen and his coaches have penciled in who will be starting and where those players will be lined up, but I’m not sure anything is sharpied in at this time.
“That was the thing we saw and we wanted in the spring,” OL coach Shaun Sarrett said via Jaguars.com. “It’s going to really pop its head when you come into training camp. There are guys who running with the ones right now, and there’s guys that are running with the twos. But they have to hold on to their spots. We’ll keep them working at it each day, and hopefully we have the best five starting when it all flattens out.”
The benefit for the running backs, of course, is that with improved competition and options, that should result in improved play up front. Having a strong running game to lean on then benefits the rest of the offense, by helping to keep that unit ahead of the sticks and out of predictable passing situations.
TE Brenton Strange
From the jump, Gladstone and Coen have been extremely bullish on Brenton Strange, and with that, will come a lot more opportunities as he now sits atop the tight end depth chart.
Strange’s production took a big leap in 2024, as he hauled in 40 passes for 411 yards with two scores. He also further established himself as a blocking presence in the run game.
That well-rounded skill set at the tight end position can add a level of unpredictability to an offense, with defenses unable to easily get a beat on what’s coming based on where players are lined up or who is on the field. This can then create mismatches not only for the tight end to exploit but for his teammates as well.
Last season in Tampa Bay, Liam Coen’s first as the offensive coordinator, Bucs’ tight end Cade Otton had 86 targets in the passing game and totaled 632 yards.
Jaguars’ defensive tackles
The defensive tackle spot specifically was thought to be a major need that had to be addressed this offseason. However, Gladstone didn’t make any outside additions. The most significant change personnel-wise, will be Arik Armstead lining up inside.
This goes to show the belief that Gladstone has in this unit and also the confidence he has in Anthony Campanile’s defensive scheme to help elevate this unit. In this new-look Jaguars defense, we expect to see more movement up front, along with a more attacking play style, and potentially more blitzing and simulated pressures, like we saw from Green Bay’s defense, which is where Campanile coached in 2024.
“We certainly look forward to seeing guys being in different positions than they’ve been in the past and that being an element that activates different sides of them,” Gladstone said. “Their whole approach has been great so far, so we’re looking forward to it.”
CB Tyson Campbell
By all accounts, Tyson Campbell has put together a strong showing during OTAs and minicamp. As Liam Coen mentioned, he believes that Campbell will “excel” in this new defensive system.
Under Campanile, who believes that success on defense begins with a player’s eyes, the Jaguars will use a more vision-based approach in the secondary, which means keeping their eyes locked on the quarterback. This also means playing more zone coverage, and the hope is that it all leads to more ball production–an area where the Jaguars really have to improve.
“I really am really, really fired up about everything he’s done this offseason because he’s competed so hard in the practices,” Campanile said of Campbell. “He’s fighting for every rep, whether it’s at the top of the route, on the line of scrimmage, in the break area.
“He’s just really trying to play with a lot of detail, and I think a lot of that shows up if you were to sit and watch his individual. He’s competing his tail off in individual.”
In 2022, Campbell allowed a completion rate of 61% while coming away with three interceptions and nine pass breakups. This new scheme can potentially play a role in getting Campbell back to that level of ball production this season.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 6 Winners from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2025 offseason
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
