Offseason In Review: Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville was not a popular pick to contend for a playoff spot in 2025, head coach Liam Coen‘s first year at the helm. Vegas set the Jaguars’ preseason over/under win total at 7.5, but the club smashed expectations during a 13-4 campaign. The offensive-minded Coen was the runner-up to the Patriots’ Mike Vrabel in Coach of the Year voting. With Coen’s help, quarterback Trevor Lawrence bounced back from a rough 2024 to finish fifth in MVP balloting.

While the Jaguars edged out the 12-5 Texans for the AFC South title, they were unable to capitalize on home-field advantage in the wild-card round. After losing in dramatic fashion to the Bills, the Jaguars went into the offseason low on cap space and without a first-round pick. Those factors prevented second-year general manager James Gladstone from making any headline-grabbing additions, but there is an argument he didn’t need to do anything drastic. With a couple of notable exceptions, the vast majority of last year’s main contributors are back. Between that and the return of 2025 No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter, who missed most of his rookie year with a knee injury, the Jaguars are heading into 2026 with high expectations.

Trades:

A week before April’s draft, Gladstone and Falcons GM Ian Cunningham shook hands on a change-of-scenery swap involving a pair of defensive tackles. Because both players were 2024 second-round picks (Orhorhoro went 35th overall, Smith 48th), they come with similar contracts. Orhorhoro is halfway through a four-year, $9.92MM deal. He will count approximately $1.7MM against the cap in 2026. Smith, who signed for $8.02MM, carries a $1.52MM cap hit this year.

The 6-foot-5, 306-pound Smith had four quarterback hits, three sacks and three tackles for loss during an 11-game rookie debut. However, he didn’t make a dent in any of those categories in 13 games last year. In his first season as the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator, Anthony Campanile used Smith on just 28.38% of snaps. The LSU product totaled a meager 15 tackles and 11 pressures. Smith finished the year as Pro Football Focus’ 100th-ranked interior defensive lineman out of 127 qualifiers.

PFF had an even harsher view of Orhorhoro, whose 2025 performance ranked 123rd at his position. However, going by traditional numbers, he easily outproduced Smith. While playing a full 17-game season and logging a 54% defensive snap share, Orhorhoro tallied 30 pressures, 25 tackles, six QB hits, four TFL and 3.5 sacks.

The 6-4, 295-pounder from Clemson made the first eight starts of his career last season, but the Jaguars will initially deploy him as depth behind DaVon Hamilton and Arik Armstead. If Orhorhoro performs well in his first year under Campanile, he could slide into Armstead’s starting spot in 2027. While the Jaguars are expected to keep Armstead this season, they are likely to let the soon-to-be 33-year-old walk in free agency next March.

Extensions and restructures:

Gladstone was not at the helm when the Jaguars spent the first overall pick in the 2022 draft on Walker. That was Trent Baalke, who chose Walker over fellow pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson. While Hutchinson has been the better player since the Lions took him with the second pick, Walker has now won over two regimes in Jacksonville.

Gladstone telegraphed Walker’s extension in January, saying: “The thing that I really appreciate in watching Travon move is how much he loves this place, how much he loves his teammates. That just seeps out of his soul. Those are the type of people you want to align yourself with. It’s the type of players that we want to make sure that are still in our building moving forward.”

The 25-year-old Walker is now top 10 among edge defenders in total value (seventh), average annual salary (seventh) and guarantees (eighth). In a world with an ever-rising cap, it’s reasonable money for a player who has put together a solid career.

Had the Jaguars allowed Walker to reach free agency next offseason, there is a good chance he would have outdone the four-year, $120MM contract Jaelan Phillips signed with the Panthers in March. Phillips, 26, landed $80MM in guarantees despite past Achilles and ACL injuries that wiped out the majority of two seasons (in terms of total guarantees, Walker hit $75MM). While sacks aren’t the end-all, be-all stat, their production has been almost identical in that category. Phillips has notched 28 in 63 games during his five-year career. Walker has racked up 27.5 over the same number of games.

Durability has been a strength for Walker, who has missed just five games in four years. However, he was not the picture of health in 2025. A broken left hand and a right knee injury limited Walker to 14 games, snapping a two-year streak of perfect attendance. A hobbled Walker was unable to approach a third 10-sack season in a row, as he put up only 3.5. He also fell to 42nd in pressures after ranking top 25 in that department in each of the previous two seasons.

The Gladstone-led Jaguars believe a healthy Walker will return to (or outdo) his 2023-24 form. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made this bet. Between Walker’s pact and the five-year, $141.25MM extension Balke gave Josh Hines-Allen in 2024, Jacksonville is one of two teams with a pair of nine-figure EDGE contracts on the books (Pittsburgh is the other). Hines-Allen registered a team-high eight sacks in 2025, but the unit as a whole managed just 32. The Jaguars’ defense did almost everything well last year, but only five teams had fewer sacks. With a healthy Walker returning, improvement should be in order.

Also one of Baalke’s draftees, Strange joined the Jags as a second-rounder in 2023. He had a quiet rookie season as the third tight end behind Evan Engram and Luke Farrell, but his production took off in Year 2. With an injured Engram out for eight games, Strange’s catch total soared from five to 40 in a one-year span. He added 411 yards (up from 35 as a rookie) and a pair of touchdowns over a full 17-game season.

The Jaguars released Engram in March 2025, leaving Strange as their go-to pass-catching tight end. A hip injury held Strange to 12 games, but he was up to the task when healthy. The 6-4, 253-pounder hauled in 46 of 60 targets for 540 yards and three TDs.

Lawrence posted a 120.1 passer rating when he targeted Strange, whose presence was clearly missed when he was on the shelf. When Strange was out of the lineup, Jacksonville went 2-3 and averaged 22.6 points per game. When he played, the team went a dominant 11-1 and scored 30.1 PPG. That was enough for Gladstone to fork over a sizable raise to the 25-year-old, though the Jags did better on the deal than it first appeared.

Initial reports pegged it as a three-year agreement worth “up to” $48MM, including $25MM in guarantees. It turns out the base value is $36MM, including a fully guaranteed $17MM. Strange now ranks just outside the top 10 among TEs in total value, AAV and full guarantees. Even though the Jaguars invested heavily in Strange’s position in the draft (more on that later), his extension makes it clear Gladstone and Coen see him as a core offensive weapon.

Free agency additions:

• Chris Rodriguez, RB: Two years, $10MM ($6.2MM guaranteed)
• Ameer Abdullah, RB: One year, $1.3MM
• Quinton Bohanna, DT: One year, $1.22MM
• Trystan Colon, OL: One year, $1.22MM
• Dane Jackson, CB: One year, $1.22MM

Adding up his carries (260) and catches (36), running back Travis Etienne amassed 296 touches in 2025. The four-year starter exceeded 1,000 yards on the ground for the third time and scored 13 touchdowns (seven rushing, six receiving), but there was no indication Jacksonville made a real push to re-sign him before free agency. Etienne accepted New Orleans’ four-year, $48MM offer shortly after the legal tampering period began March 9, leaving Gladstone to search for a credible replacement to team with Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen.

The Jaguars came close to prying the very effective (but very injury-prone) J.K. Dobbins from the Broncos, but he stayed in Denver on a two-year, $16MM accord with $8MM guaranteed at signing. A couple of hours later, news of the Rodriguez signing broke. The three-year veteran and former Commander has far less tread on his tires than Etienne and Dobbins, having totaled just 198 carries and six catches in 35 games.

Last season was a career year for Rodriguez, who recorded personal bests in carries (112), yards (500; 4.5 YPC) and TDs (six). The 5-11, 224-pounder also tied electrifying Dolphins RB De’Von Achane for first in the league in yards after contact per rush (3.0), broke 13 tackles, and went without a fumble for the second straight season.

Although the Commanders could have retained Rodriguez for around $3.5MM as a restricted free agent, they didn’t tender him a contract. That enabled the former sixth-rounder to become an unrestricted free agent a year early. Rodriguez took advantage of it by earning a raise in Jacksonville and reuniting with Coen, whom he thrived under in college.

Coen was Kentucky’s offensive coordinator in 2021, Rodriguez’s best season as a member of the Wildcats. With Coen calling the plays, Rodriguez ran 225 times for 1,379 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games. He added another three receiving scores, though he only caught 13 passes. There is nothing in his pro or college history that suggests he is a real threat as a receiver.

Rodriguez is now recovering from left foot surgery, but he will reportedly be a full participant when training camp begins in late July. Even if that proves to be the case, it is fair to be skeptical about the Jaguars’ backfield. Etienne was not a star-level back in Jacksonville, making it understandable the team passed on giving him a sizable second contract. However, he was typically good for around 1,000 rushing yards and 40 receptions a year. He is at least a capable starter, and the Jaguars’ post-Etienne options will have to prove they are up to filling the void.

Tuten, a 2025 fourth-rounder, averaged an uninspiring 3.7 yards per carry on 83 attempts as a rookie. To his credit, he found the end zone seven times (five rushing, two receiving). However, he and Allen finished with just 10 catches apiece. Allen, a seventh-rounder in the same draft class as Tuten, only had 23 carries during his 17-game rookie campaign.

Nobody spent less on outside free agents than the Jaguars. Aside from Rodriguez, each of Abdullah, Bohanna, Colon and Jackson will have to fight for spots at the back end of the roster.

Re-signings:

Just a couple hours before the legal tampering window opened, the Jaguars kept Brown off the market with their most expensive commitment of the day. A Jaguar since his career began in 2022, Brown emerged as a seventh-round steal over the previous couple of years.

After going from a backup to a 10-game starter in 2024, he took on an even more prominent role last season. Across 15 games and 12 starts, the 6-foot, 190-pound boundary corner led all Jaguars defensive backs in snap share (67.06%), deflected 12 passes and gave up a measly 74.3 passer rating on 68 targets. The performance impressed Pro Football Focus, which placed Brown 26th among 102 corners.

The Jaguars brought in Gardeck, a longtime Cardinal, on an inexpensive one-year deal last summer. The move worked out for the Jaguars, who saw enough positives from Gardeck in 2025 to award him a raise on another affordable pact. The eight-year veteran tied career highs in games (17), starts (eight) and snaps (695; 423 on defense, 272 on special teams). While lining up at a few different spots, Gardeck chipped in 48 tackles, 25 pressures, nine QB hits and 2.5 sacks. He missed a meager 2% of tackles in his first Jags season.

Morris, a former Bill, played in 14 games in his first year in Jacksonville in 2025. They prevented Morris from exiting in free agency with an almost fully guaranteed one-year offer, though it appears the blocking specialist will have to fight for a roster spot. Strange and two rookie tight ends (second-rounder Nate Boerkircher and fifth-rounder Tanner Koziol) are locks to make the team. Either Morris or Hunter Long will be the odd man out if the Jaguars keep four.

Notable losses:

• Dyami Brown, WR
• Travis Etienne, RB
• Cooper Hodges, G (waived)
• Austin Johnson, DT
• Devin Lloyd, LB
• Johnny Mundt, TE (released)
• Greg Newsome II, CB
• Emmanuel Ogbah, DE
• Tim Patrick, WR
• Dawuane Smoot, DE
• Andrew Wingard, S

We touched on the significance of Etienne’s departure earlier. However, Lloyd may be the bigger loss, having earned second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in his fourth and final season with the Jaguars.

A 2022 first-rounder, Lloyd was in position to hit free agency because the Jaguars declined his $14.75MM fifth-year option back in April 2025. It was understandable at the time, as teams seldom exercise the option for off-ball linebackers. But it turns out Lloyd will earn a similar amount per annum on the three-year, $42MM deal he signed with the Panthers in free agency. Lloyd said the Jaguars made him an offer, though it is unclear how much they were willing to pay.

During his four-year run in Jacksonville, Lloyd reached 100 tackles three times and missed just five games. While Lloyd’s tackle total dropped to a career-low 81 in 15 games last season, he intercepted a personal-best five passes, including a 99-yard pick-six in a victory over the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs. He was also the only LB in the league to receive an 80-plus grade in run defense, pass rushing and coverage from PFF.

Despite Lloyd’s high-impact season, the Jaguars did not add anyone of note to replace him. It appears the relatively unproven duo of Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs will battle for the right to step in for Lloyd and start alongside Foye Oluokun.

As a fourth-round rookie in 2023, Miller missed his rookie season with an Achilles injury. He started in nine of 15 games and made 80 tackles in 2024, but he only played 20% of defensive snaps over 17 contests last season. Miller fell to 38 tackles as a result, though he did haul in his first career pick. His track record is short, but he is more established than Combs. A 2025 undrafted free agent from Wake Forest, Combs was almost exclusively a special-teamer during a 10-game rookie campaign.

Elsewhere on defense, the Jaguars unsurprisingly let Newsome go after they re-signed Montaric Brown. Newsome made a dozen starts after the Jaguars acquired him from the Browns for fellow corner Tyson Campbell last October, but he didn’t play well enough to earn a multiyear deal. He exited in free agency for the Giants’ one-year, $8MM offer, leaving Brown and Hunter as the Jaguars’ starters. The combination of Jourdan Lewis and Jarrian Jones will handle slot duties, though both players are versatile enough to line up on the outside when necessary.

The flexibility of Lewis and Jones was especially beneficial with Hunter out of the picture for most of his rookie year. The former Heisman Trophy-winning DB/WR played just 162 defensive snaps (he took 324 as a receiver) before tearing his right LCL in practice on Oct. 30. Hunter’s subsequent surgery came with a six-month recovery, putting him on track for full participation in camp.

Set to factor in more on defense than offense in his second year, a healthy Hunter will provide an upgrade on Newsome if the success he had over a small number of snaps in 2025 carries into this season. Opposing quarterbacks completed 9 of 18 attempts and posted a horrid 68.3 rating when they targeted Hunter, who made 15 tackles and deflected three passes.

Hunter was a ballhawk at Colorado, where he pulled in seven interceptions in two seasons. If he shows off similar playmaking ability this year, it would help Jacksonville stay near the top of the league in takeaways. The Jags ranked second in both turnovers (33) and INTs (22) last season, marking a stunning one-year turnaround from their 2024 totals (nine and six, respectively). According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis, the Jags were the first team in history to jump from fewer than 10 turnovers to more than 30 in a one-season span. It’s all the more impressive they pulled off the feat despite minimal contributions from Hunter.

Wingard was a career-long Jaguar until he parlayed a productive 2025 showing into a deal with the Cardinals in free agency. After serving as a backup for most of his first six seasons, Wingard took over as a 16-game starter in 2025. While playing the second-most snaps among Jaguars defenders (961), Wingard put up 84 tackles, a career-high nine passes defensed and an INT. However, it wasn’t enough for the Jaguars to retain the 29-year-old.

Several weeks after Wingard moved to Arizona, the Jags drafted Jalen Huskey in the third round. They also have 2025 third-rounder Caleb Ransaw in the fold, though he missed his rookie year with a foot injury. Antonio Johnson and Eric Murray are in line to start, but Campanile used three-safety sets more than most other D-coordinators in 2025. Huskey, Ransaw and Rayuan Lane could benefit if that continues.

Smoot, a 2017 third-rounder, played his first seven seasons in Jacksonville before a one-year stint in Buffalo in 2024. In Smoot’s return to the Jaguars last season, Campanile deployed him on 41% of snaps and rotated him in at a handful of D-line spots. The 31-year-old chipped in 23 tackles, 15 pressures, five QB hits and two sacks in a depth role, but he has gone unsigned since free agency opened in March. John Oehser of Jaguars.com suggested in June that Jacksonville is unlikely to re-sign Smoot.

Dyami Brown spent his first four years in Washington, where he averaged approximately 20 catches, 200 yards and a TD per season. Despite Brown’s unspectacular output, the Jaguars handed him a guaranteed $10MM in free agency last year. It went down as a poor use of money, as Brown played 14 games and basically matched his career averages with 20 grabs, 227 yards and a score. He has since gone back to the Commanders in free agency, while Patrick joined the Jets. Those two combined for 35 catches, 414 yards and four TDs at the back end of the Jaguars’ depth chart in 2025.

With Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington, the Jaguars’ receiving corps remains in fine shape at the top. Hunter will also factor into the mix in some capacity, though there are legitimate depth concerns behind him. Chandler Brayboy, Tim Jones, Ben Patterson, Austin Trammell, rookie sixth-rounders CJ Williams and Josh Cameron, and UDFAs Brady Boyd, Trebor Peña and Michael Wortham are the team’s only other wideouts under contract. Jones and Trammell, who have combined for just 29 receptions in 84 games, are the lone members of that nine-man group who have ever caught a pass in the NFL.

Draft:

• Round 2, No. 56: Nate Boerkircher (TE, Texas A&M) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 81 (from Lions): Albert Regis (DT, Texas A&M) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 88: Emmanuel Pregnon (G, Oregon) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 100 (from Lions)*: Jalen Huskey (S, Maryland) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 119 (from Panthers): Wesley Williams (EDGE, Duke) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 164: Tanner Koziol (TE, Houston) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 191 (from Chiefs via Patriots): Josh Cameron (WR, Baylor) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 203 (from Eagles via Texans and Eagles): CJ Williams (WR, Stanford) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 233 (from Lions): Zach Durfee (EDGE, Washington) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 240: Parker Hughes (LB, Middle Tennessee State) (signed)

Other:

As the 27th overall pick in 2023, Harrison became an immediate right tackle starter who held the job through his second season. Coen came in last year and suggested Harrison was in danger of a demotion to the bench, but the 6-4, 315-pounder held off Chuma Edoga for the No. 1 spot. Not only did Harrison go on to start in all 15 appearances, but PFF ranked him as the game’s 29th-best tackle out of 84 qualifiers. It was a sign of continued improvement for Harrison, whom PFF ranked 67th as a rookie and 50th in his second year.

The Jaguars liked Harrison’s performance enough to lock in his 2027 option for a fully guaranteed $19.02MM. They could extend Harrison before then, though there is no word on whether they have begun talks.

On the defensive side, the Jaguars were reportedly part of the Crosby derby in March before the Raiders agreed to trade him to the Ravens for two first-round picks. That blockbuster quickly fell apart thanks to the Ravens’ concerns over Crosby’s left knee. The Raiders have held on to Crosby since then. Even if they traded the five-time Pro Bowler before the draft, the Jaguars were always fighting an uphill battle to acquire him. They would have had to get ultra-creative without a 2026 first-rounder to include in an offer. A source told Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union that the Jaguars never seriously pursued a Crosby trade, and it appears that ship has sailed in the wake of Walker’s extension.

Thomas has come up in trade rumors on a few occasions in recent months, but the Jaguars reportedly never had interest in trading him. Gladstone publicly shot down the possibility of dealing Thomas in March, calling the speculation “fraudulent.” By retaining Thomas, the Jaguars are betting on the soon-to-be 24-year-old putting a sophomore slump behind him this season.

As a first-round pick in 2024, Baalke’s final draft, Thomas burst on the scene with 87 receptions, 1,282 yards and 10 TDs. He went to the Pro Bowl and finished fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. The Jaguars likely expected similar or better production in 2025, but Thomas stumbled to 48 catches, 707 yards and two scores in 14 games. The 6-2, 209-pounder also registered an 11% drop rate, more than doubling his 5.3% rookie mark. Given that Hunter’s role as a receiver will diminish in 2026, it’s even more crucial for Thomas to regain his first-year form.

The Jaguars attempted to add Bobo to their Thomas-fronted receiving corps in restricted free agency, but the reigning champion Seahawks thwarted those plans when they matched the Jags’ two-year, $7MM offer sheet.

Landing in Jacksonville would have reunited Bobo with Jaguars passing game coordinator Shane Waldron, the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator during the wideout’s rookie year in 2023. Bobo caught 19 of 25 targets for 196 yards and two TDs that year. All of those numbers remain career highs for Bobo, who would have given the Jaguars some back-end receiving depth and a core special-teamer.

Top 10 cap charges for 2026:

1. Trevor Lawrence, QB: $24MM
2. Josh Hines-Allen, DE: $23.4MM
3. Arik Armstead, DT: $19.39MM
4. Foyesade Oluokun, LB: $17.11MM
5. Walker Little, T: $14.5MM
6. DaVon Hamilton, DT: $12.45MM
7. Ezra Cleveland, G: $11.42MM
8. Travis Hunter, CB/WR: $10.6MM
9. Travon Walker, DE: $9.41MM
10. Patrick Mekari, RG: $7.39MM

The offseason was anything but flashy for the Jaguars, who are content to run it back with a similar roster and coaching staff. They are legitimate candidates to make the playoffs and go on a long run, but in the meantime, winning the AFC South should present a bigger challenge than it did in 2025. The Texans continue to look like one of the league’s best teams, while the Colts will return with a healthier roster than they fielded during a disastrous second half in 2025. The Titans probably won’t be in the running for a playoff spot, but after an aggressive offseason, they no longer resemble the 6-28 doormats they were from 2024-25.

Considering where the Jags were after the 2024 season, their standing following 2025 is remarkable. A franchise that had not won more than 10 games in a season since 2007 and had only once surpassed 12 (their 14-2 1999 slate) reached 13 wins. One-sided victories over the playoff-bound Broncos and Chargers represented an eye-opening part of the Coen-Gladstone regime’s first year. Expectations now await, marking a long-desired status change for Jacksonville. Will the young decisionmakers be able to build on that surprising season in Year 2?