The Jacksonville Jaguars recently had a padded practice. They'll next hold a scrimmage on Friday, August 7, in preparation for their first preseason game one week later. This mock game will allow the Jags to see what areas they need to work on. Similarly, it will give players a chance to make an impression and raise their stock.
Of course, Jacksonville will be as sharp as possible while putting an emphasis on fundamentals and execution. This begs the question, what will the team's brass be paying attention to when the offense and defense face off against each other?
With this in mind, here are three storylines to keep an eye on in the 2026 scrimmage.
3 storylines to keep an eye on in the 2026 Jacksonville Jaguars scrimmage
Will Anton Harrison get the lion's share of the reps at left tackle?
Although Anton Harrison has played right tackle the past three years, he's been getting first-team reps on the left side throughout training camp. This isn't particularly surprising when you take into account that the Jags want their hog mollies to rotate in case they suffer injuries on the offensive line.
On the other hand, head coach Liam Coen isn't closing the door on Harrison potentially starting at left tackle next season. Perhaps the 2023 first-round pick could get most of the snaps to ensure he's fully acclimated to the position, but Walker Little, Chuma Edoga, and Wyatt Milum could also take turns protecting Trevor Lawrence's blindside.
The Jaguars may not want to tip their hand, but their usage of Harrison in the scrimmage could hint at his role in 2026.
Can Ventrell Miller or Branson Combs take the lead in the battle for the starting job at LB?
When the Jaguars let Devin Lloyd sign with the Carolina Panthers in free agency, the expectation was that Ventrell Miller was going to replace him. However, sophomore Branson Combs is having a strong offseason and could ultimately reshape the team's plans.
Combs went undrafted in 2025 but is one of the players — along with fellow sophomore Jabbar Muhammad — who's shown the most improvement since last year. He and Miller have made plays in training camp, so whoever ends up having the better performance in the scrimmage could get a slight edge in the competition for the starting job next to Foyesade Oluokun
How will the Jaguars running game look with Bhayshul Tuten leading the way?
The Jaguars went 13-4 in 2025, but head coach Liam Coen wasn't pleased with the end result. One area he believes the team can improve in is the running game, going as far as calling it the stink. He isn't wrong.
While the Jags managed to put up good numbers, a closer look shows that the Jags weren't efficient pounding the rock. This is partly why they didn't make an aggressive effort to keep Travis Etienne from leaving in free agency and why they brought in Chris Rodriguez to give the running game a boost.
Rodriguez is back at practice after missing the offseason program with a foot injury. He wasted no time proving why Jacksonville signed him, turning into a battering ram in his first practice with the team.
On the other hand, Bhayshul Tuten has had a strong offseason, routinely showcasing his home-run speed. That said, the team's brass hasn't truly been able to assess him because he's yet to be in a situation in which he has to stymie defenders and break tackles. The scrimmage will give him a prime opportunity to prove that he can be a more than capable replacement for Etienne and help get rid of the stink.
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