2026 Jacksonville Jaguars in Three Players
The offseason is upon us. Let's take a look at all 32 teams.
We are onto the 15th edition of our offseason series!
Instead of reviewing all 32 drafts and adding casual commentary, I will be doing this instead.
We will go through every single team, in alphabetical order, and quickly discuss three players:
a favorite free agent signing*
a favorite draft pick
and a player already entrenched on the roster
Not necessarily the best, or the top, or the one's who will play the biggest role, just one of choice.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are up.
Free Agent Signing
RB Chris Rodriguez
Rodriguez was a 6th round pick in 2023.
Washington released Rodriguez as apart of preseason cuts prior to the 2024 season. He made the practice squad and eventually made the roster again, bringing his career stats to 86 carries, 420 yards, 4 TDs.
Rodriguez had a large role increase in 2025, even starting 7 games, having career highs in carries(112), yards(500), and TDs(6).
Here is a cut-up of Rodriguez's top runs from 2025.
The Jaguars signed Rodriguez to a 2 year, $12m contract this offseason, following the departure of Travis Etienne.
Etienne took 53% of the carries in 2025. Bhayshul Tuten took the second most, with just 83 carries. His workload should increase, but the Jaguars also incorporated QB Trevor Lawrence in the run game last year, as he hit a career high 82 carries.
I expect the carries to be fairly split, but Etienne also had 36 receptions last season. Rodriguez has just 6 career catches, so I expect Tuten, who had 10 catches in 2025 in 50 at Virginia Tech, to take on that pass catching role.
Here's a quick comparison of the Jaguars rushing offense compared Rodriguez's production in 2025:
Jaguars Rodrgiuez
EPA per rush: -0.04 +0.03
Yards per carry: 4.0 4.5
Yards after contact per carry: 2.91 4.0
Yards over expected per carry: +0.01 +0.7
Also 12% of Rodriguez's carries went for 10+ yards. The Jaguars were just under 10%.
Rodriguez's numbers were great among all NFL backs.
His total rush EPA was 9th in the NFL, at 3.5 EPA.
His yards after contact per carry was 3rd in the NFL, at 4.0, behind just Devon Achane and Derrick Henry.
Rodriguez lacks great long speed, but that's the only notable downside.
He's got very good vision. But vision is useless without another skill. And Rodriguez has the ability to bounce his carries. He's not the most agile running back ever, but there are a couple ways he is able to bounce his runs.
Rodriguez has an incredibly quick burst out of his cuts. He's able to hit lanes with a methodical approach. By slowing working his way through the holes, that gives his explosive ability out of cuts more of an opportunity to thrive.
But the main thing Rodriguez brings is his tackle breaking ability.
You saw the yards after contact number, it's special. Rodriguez is 5'11, 224lbs. His lower body is powerful. He bounces off of every initial tackle. This is also why he's able to climb through the holes methodically, because he is able to break tackles even when not at full speed due to the power in his legs.
Rodriguez's quick bursts out of his cuts, combined with his ability to bounce off tackles, equals nice chunk gains for the offense pretty consistently.
He also does not fumble. Rodriguez has just 1 career fumble in 198 carries.
If there is anything to be concerned about, it is the Jaguars offensive line. Rodriguez will be an effective, efficient runner for Jacksonville. I do not really anticipate Etienne's departure being a major factor in how the Jaguars offense performs.
The offensive line and Tuten's pass catching ability is what to look out for.
Draftee
DE Wesley Williams
Williams was drafted with the 119th pick of this years' draft. The Duke product is a 21 year old coming off of his redshirt junior season.
He redshirted, and then played mostly as a reserve as a R-Freshman. Over his final two yeasr, he posted 23 TFLs and 9.5 sacks in 26 starts.
Here is a cut-up of Williams against Virginia, courtesy of @BengalsBrews on Twitter/X.
The Jaguars depth at defensive end is not extensive. They have two stars in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, but after that, the only guy with any NFL production is Dennis Gardeck. And Gardeck is more of a versatile rusher, who often lines up off the ball.
They are lacking true depth, and Williams seems to be the next guy up.
Williams' current frame could make it tricky for him to find consistent success and a role in the NFL.
He was a strong run defender at Duke, blowing up tight ends to set the edge and having overall good instincts against the run. He knows how to shoot gaps and disrupt blocks. But he has shorter arms, under 32 inches. That could disadvantage him when defending on the edge.
In terms of pass rush, Williams has a great motor, fantastic hands, and a nice, smooth stride when getting into the backfield. But the explosiveness not being elite could be a problem in the NFL, as could his reach when trying to win with technique against NFL tackles.
It seems like a natural move to shift someone like Williams to the interior to rush the passer. He projects to struggle from the outside, but his motor and strong base could be beneficial as a interior rusher. However, usually when players make this shift, they have some weight to them. Williams is listed at 255lbs after the combine. That may be a bit too light.
Now, what are the odds he continues to push that number up? If Williams gets over the 260lb mark, I would be more confident sliding him inside.
I do see Wesley Williams getting extensive playing time for Jacksonville as a rookie, but it will be interesting to see where his weight is at, and if that effects his role.
It would not be the worst thing to see him get pass rush snaps from the edge, but having to trust a rookie with Williams' skill set in that role is not ideal for the Jaguars playoff chances in 2026.
In-House Player
LB Ventrell Miller
Miller was a 4th round pick in 2023 by the Jaguars.
He ruptured his achilles in the 2023 preseason and missed the entire year. Since then, Miller has started 11 games for Jacksonville and enters the final year of his rookie deal.
Here is a cut-up of the good from Miller's 2025 season.
The Jaguars lost All-Pro LB Devin Lloyd in free agency this offseason.
This was one of the biggest losses, from any team, during this offseason. Lloyd truly broke out this offseason. He can defend the run, but is a special athlete in coverage. In my opinion, Fred Warner is the only LB that bests him.
I chose to review Miller because he projects to be the guy to step into Lloyd's starting spot.
But, despite this, I believe there really should not be an expectation for Miller to replace Lloyd. He's just really not on that level.
There were somethings to like about Ventrell Miller.
He plays with very good pursuit. Whether it be hustle or angles, Miller brings it. This allows him to be decent against the run.
Miller is an imperfect tackler. Whether launching himself around the ankles and failing to hang on, or coming in too high near and in an unathletic position, it's not always great. But his missed tackle rate was much lower in his second season playing, at just 5.0%. This is a really, really god number. Miller can get in on every play.
My favorite part about his game was the coverage drops. This is something most young LBs seem incapable of at times. But Miller knows how to drop downfield and run with the slot. He's also very good at getting in throwing lanes, whether in hook coverage or chasing a guy with his back turned.
This is rare, and something Devin Lloyd excels at, so the drop off in coverage not being the size of the Grand Canyon is notable for Jacksonville.
There are a couple issues with Miller in coverage, however.
His drops are strong, and he is fine in tight spaces, but when he's one on one with a shiftier RB in open space, he will likely not win that matchup.
The problem with Miller's coverage is the fact that he falls for play-action far too often. Now, everyone falls for play-action. You must respect the run a little bit. But you don't need to start pursuing a guy that does not have the ball. And that will happen with Miller. Over four hard steps to the line is not good.
Miller's non-elite recognition ability is his potential downfall.
You see it with the play-action.
But it also shows up against the run.
While sometimes Miller covers up cut-back lanes effectively, it's also tends to bite him. The reason he can get in the cut-back lane is because he's patrolling at the second level. But Miller will get blocked when he's still at the second level, and ends up having zero effect on the run stopping effort. This happens to frequently.
Miller played 14% of his snaps as a stand up LB on the line of scrimmage. And I hated nearly every one of those snaps. He should not be put in that position. No reason for him to lien up there.
I liked a lot of what Miller did, particularly in coverage. But I am not overly excited about him being a full-time starter. I have a fear that, because of his tendencies against play-action, offensive coaches may circle him in their gameplans, especially if they have a good running game. He could become an easy target.
But, more reps and being one more year removed from his injury should help Miller's game grow. He's two hard steps away from becoming a very strong cover linebacker, and that is rare in today's NFL.
Thanks for reading through our 15th edition of previewing all 32 teams in 3 players! Training camp is nearly upon us, the goal is still to be complete by August. Lots of catching up to do.
Let me know who else on the Jaguars is worth monitoring this season, good or bad!
Stay tuned for more NFL and 49ers articles, news, and opinions!
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