With training camp for the Jacksonville Jaguars getting closer, which players should be on our radars as these practices and preseason games unfold?
As part of our training camp preview, we’ll be highlighting one player from each position group to keep your eyes on. In some instances, it may be one of the Jaguars’ top players that we’ll be watching closely, or it could be a player fighting for playing time or a roster spot.
Up next are the running backs.
Jaguars player to watch at running back: Chris Rodriguez
We didn’t see Rodriguez during offseason programs as he worked his way through a foot injury. He is, however, expected to be back for training camp.
Rodriguez’s absence has given Bhayshul Tuten the opportunity to shoulder the RB1 snaps during the offseason. But regardless of who is at the top of the depth chart in Week 1, both players are expected to play key roles this season, with Jacksonville taking more of a committee approach out of the backfield.
During the initial free agency waves, Rodriguez was the only addition made by the Jaguars. In 2025, with the Commanders, Rodriguez’s role expanded, as he carried the ball 112 times while averaging 4.5 yards per attempt with six touchdowns.
Rodriguez brings an added physical element to the Jaguars’ backfield, and his ability to make defenders miss is what can differentiate Rodriguez from other backs and help elevate the Jacksonville run game.
He finished last season ranked eighth among all running backs in average yards after contact. He would also rank 14th in rush yards over expected per attempt, according to Next Gen Stats.
“The physicality, the play style, the strength, the intelligence as a player,” said offensive coordinator Grant Udinski about Rodriguez. “Those things are evident right away. Then you talk about the contact balance and his ability to find efficient runs sometimes in dirty looks and looks that might not be blocked as cleanly as possible.”
A more consistent run game in 2026 will help take the Jaguars’ offense to another level.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: One Jaguars player to watch at running back in training camp
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire | USA TODAY Network
