The NFL Draft is over, signaling another pivot point for the Jacksonville Jaguars, from player procurement to player development during their offseason program.
Here are 15 questions — and attempted — answers about the Jaguars:
Offense
1. What is coach Liam Coen’s offseason program expectations for quarterback Trevor Lawrence?
To take a step forward from graduate degree to doctorate.
“Specifically we get on the grass, the expectation is to kind of play at the level he was at toward the end of (last) season from a footwork standpoint, ownership of the system, communication, (pre-snap) cadence and overall command,” Coen said.
We have no track record to help us project how a quarterback will fare in Year 2 running Coen’s offense. As a SEC/NFL play-caller, he was at Kentucky in 2021 and 2023, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024 and the Jaguars last year.
2. Who should be the favorite to start at running back in Week 1?
Chris Rodriguez, followed by Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen, Jr., in a rotation.
Based on career carries, I would be hard-pressed to find a team with less running back experience than the Jaguars. Rodriguez has 198 attempts, Tuten 83 and Allen 23.
Travis Etienne accounted for 260 of the Jaguars’ 489 regular-season rushing attempts last year and Lawrence was second with 82. The Jaguars didn’t draft a running back so they so far plan to lean on RTA (Rodriguez-Tuten-Allen).
3. What does drafting third-round guard Emmanuel Pregnon mean for second-year player Wyatt Milum?
Milum’s rookie season was derailed by a preseason knee injury and he played 96 regular-season snaps in 10 games (no starts), mostly at guard and some as the sixth offensive lineman.
Is he still in the guard mix? Do the Jaguars view him as a back-up swing tackle?
“Wyatt has a ton of flexibility for him to go out and play tackle and play on the inside at guard,” Coen said. “You’re not going to be able to see what Wyatt’s best traits are with a helmet and shorts on; we have to wait until training camp to let that play itself out.”
For fans attending training camp practices in July/August, expect to see Milum lining up all over the line.
4. Might Pregnon challenge left guard Ezra Cleveland or right guard Patrick Mekari for a starting job?
If we’ve learned anything about this administration, everything is based on merit. What a player did last year means only they will begin this year as the leading candidate. But they still have to earn it.
I have more concerns about Mekari than the Jaguars are saying externally. Remember, Mekari didn’t finish the last two games he started (Week 16 at Denver and the playoff game against Buffalo) because of a back injury.
Pregnon started 39 games at left guard and 12 at right guard in college. At the scouting combine, he led all guards in hand size (11 inches) and vertical jump (35 inches).
If Pregnon outplays Mekari, he will start.
5. Do you expect the Jaguars to trade tackle/guard Walker Little?
The Jaguars have 10 offensive linemen worthy of a Week 1 spot, but teams usually keep nine on the active spot.
The thing about Little is, he equated himself well when he had to play guard in a pinch against Denver and over the next two games.
If the Jaguars can find a taker for Little after June 1, they can create $11.94 million in cap space. Cutting him should not be an option because a post-June 1 release would equal a $13.6 million “dead” cap charge.
My lean is they keep Little until training camp and if another team is beset by injuries, the Jaguars can squeeze that team for a Day 2 draft pick in exchange of Little.
6. Should there be urgency to extend tight end Brenton Strange and receiver Parker Washington?
Yes, for both player and management and there appears to be because general manager James Gladstone said in late March talks between the Jaguars and the agents for both players were underway.
The Jaguars should act with urgency because if Strange and Washington both increase their reception totals for the fourth consecutive season, their prices will only go up. Strange has increased from four to 40 to 46 catches and Washington from 16 to 32 to 58 catches.
Strange and Washington, second- and sixth-round picks, respectively, should be open to immediate contract extensions so they will have financial security entering the season and not worry about an injury impacting their value.
7. Can receiver Brian Thomas Jr. rebound?
Hope is never a good strategy so the Jaguars will continue to show confidence that Thomas can be the player who caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. OK, not the exact same player because the Jaguars have better pass-catching personnel and he won’t approach those numbers.
But Thomas should have more than two touchdown catches. The eye-popping number last year is he caught only 48 of his 91 targets. That’s dreadful. He needs to become a more diverse route runner and obviously cut down on his drops (eight last year).
Make no mistake, Thomas enters the season as the No. 4 option in the passing game behind, in order, Jakobi Meyers, Washington and Strange.
Defense
1. Have the Jaguars done enough to improve their pass rush?
Barring an unforeseen trade, what they have done will have to do … and it isn’t much. The Jaguars ranked 27th in 32 regular-season sacks last year and 23rd in pressure rate (32.5%).
The Jaguars are counting on a return-to-health Travon Walker having a return-to-his-2022-and-2024-form and Josh Hines-Allen having a return-to-his-2023-form.
Walker has seasons of 3 1/2, 10, 10 1/2 and 3 1/2 in his four pro seasons and signed a contract extension last month. He battled wrist and knee injuries last year (missed three games).
Hines-Allen had 17 1/2 sacks in 2023, but from 2021-25, it was his only season with more than eight so if he can get to double digits, that would be a success.
At the edge spot, the Jaguars’ only activity was drafting Wesley Williams (fourth round) and Zach Durfee (seventh round) although the team has floated the idea of recently-acquired defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro kicking outside in some situations.
2. How does drafting defensive tackle Albert Regis impact Arik Armstead’s future?
The Jaguars drafted Regis at No. 81 (third round), their first defensive selection.
Armstead’s salary cap number is $19.39 million, up from $4.5 million and $7.4 million in his first two Jaguars seasons.
The discussion about Armstead’s future is centered on June 1. If the Jaguars cut him, they will create $14.9 million in salary cap space, money that could be allocated toward extensions for Strange and Washington.
Last year, Armstead led Jaguars defensive tackles in snaps (661), sacks (5 1/2) and total pass-rush disruptions (22 1/2) per the Times-Union’s game charting. He does have value.
Because they have been able to carry his cap number on the books all offseason, the Jaguars should keep Armstead.
3. What will be considered a spring for cornerback Travis Hunter?
No setbacks.
We haven’t seen Hunter on the field since he practiced on Oct. 29, 2025; he injured his right lateral collateral ligament a day later. We haven’t heard from Hunter since before his injury.
If Hunter can do side-field work during the offseason program and be declared good to go for training camp (even if in a limited manner), his spring will be a win.
4. Why are people forgetting about Antonio Johnson at safety?
This is a head-scratcher. Johnson tied for the team lead with five interceptions last year and was second among the Jaguars’ safeties with 700 snaps.
But there is all this chatter about second-year player Caleb Ransaw, who played 700 fewer snaps than Johnson did last year. Ransaw sustained a foot injury in training camp and was placed on injured reserve. He is a classic case of a player’s legend growing while he’s not on the field. How else to explain it?
Johnson should start training camp as the favorite to start alongside Eric Murray.
5. How surprising is the Jaguars’ lack of additions at outside linebacker?
Slightly surprising until I reminded myself of Devin Lloyd’s playing time last year. He averaged 47.1 snaps per regular-season game, so that likely impacted the resources (money and/or a draft pick) the Jaguars allocated to the position.
The Jaguars didn’t draft a linebacker until seventh-rounder Parker Hughes and he played mostly in the middle.
The draft was good news for Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs, who played 220 and 28 snaps, respectively, in the regular season/playoffs. That will be a main camp competition.
6. Can the Jaguars repeat as the league’s best run defense?
Sure they can if they approach 13 wins.
Last year, their opponents had a league-low 369 rushing attempts, a product of trailing and moving to a passing strategy by necessity. The Jaguars allowed 85.6 yards per game (Denver was next-closest at 91.1).
In the last 10 seasons, only Tampa Bay (2020-21) has repeated as the league’s best rush defense, but seven teams finished in the top 10 a year after finishing first.
Special teams
1. Who returns punts?
Let’s start out with who shouldn’t return punts — Washington.
Washington had 25 of the Jaguars’ 26 punt returns (including playoffs) and his two touchdowns tied for the NFL lead and his 13.6-yard average ranked seventh.
But Washington is too valuable as a receiver to risk injury returning punts on a full-time basis.
Sixth-round draft pick Josh Cameron averaged 14.0 yards on 45 punt returns for Baylor.
2. Who could emerge as core special teams players?
Many of the same faces as last year.
The Jaguars, not including the specialists, return all 12 players who had at least 157 special teams snaps.
The expected core players will be Rayuan Lane (team-high 341 special teams snaps), Miller (299), outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck (272), tight end Quintin Morris (253), Johnson (200) and linebacker Jack Kiser (193).
Contact O’Halloran at rohalloran@gannett.com or on X at @ryanohalloran. Listen to Ryan on 1010AM for segments every Tuesday (6:35 p.m. on “Into The Night) and Thursday (1:15 p.m. in “XL Primetime”) and on X every Wednesday (3:20 p.m. on “Duval Rundown”).
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 15 questions about the Jacksonville Jaguars following the NFL Draft
Reporting by Ryan O’Halloran, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
