The Jacksonville Jaguars let Devin Lloyd bolt in free agency in part because they're confident that Ventrell Miller can fill his shoes. Head coach Liam Coen went as far as saying that Miller should feel great that the team's brass didn't bring anyone to compete with him. Nevertheless, he could still face internal pressure for the starting job, as sophomore Branson Combs made a massive impression in the offseason program.
An undrafted free agent in 2025, Combs landed in the practice squad to start his rookie campaign but was eventually signed to the active roster. He was one of the most improved Jags players from last year. His sudden rise has led to questions about whether he could challenge Miller for the starting job next to Foyesade Oluokun.
However, a local reporter just pumped the brakes on the hype around Combs.
Ventrell Miller could start for the Jaguars over Branson Combs
Tony Wiggins said on the Jaguars Squad Show that he believes Ventrell Miller will play more than Branson Combs next season, pointing out that the 2023 fourth-round linebacker has managed to stay healthy after an injury-riddled start to his NFL career.
"No, I'm gonna sell that," Wiggins said when asked if Combs will play more than Miller in 2026. "I thought you were gonna say Jack Kaiser plays more than Jack Kaiser (39:16 mark). "I might buy it out, but I'll sell it with Ventrell. If you asked me a year and a half ago, I'd have told you I would've probably bought it, because Ventrell had a history of not being healthy."
Wiggins continued, "But he fixed that Ventrell Miller is ready to go, and I think what they saw, the demonstrated performance of Ventrell Miller, in my opinion, had as much to do with them not keeping Devin Lloyd as anything else, other than the fact that they may not value having a second linebacker making double digit, you know, an eight-figure salary per year, so yeah, I'm gonna sell that."
For his part, Miller dealt with injuries at Florida and suffered an Achilles tear that forced him to miss his rookie campaign. Since then, though, he's managed to stay healthy, appearing in 17 games with two starts in 2025.
Branson Combs may need to wait for his chance to start for the Jaguars
Back in 2024, Ventrell Miller outplayed Devin Lloyd. However, the Jaguars went into 2025 with the latter as the starter, and he went to have a breakout season. But despite his improved performance, Jacskonville let Lloyd walk in free agency.
The expectation is that Miller, like Lloyd, will make a leap under defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, so barring anything unexpected, he won't be the starter come Week 1. That said, Branson Combs could still get ample playing time. Heck, he may even be the top backup behind Miller and Foyesade Oluokun.
Sure, Branson Combs would love to start next season, but Ventrell Miller probably has the leg up. That said, the job could be his if he keeps working on his cract.
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