When the Jacksonville Jaguars let Devin Lloyd walk in free agency, the expectation was that Ventrell Miller was going to replace him, and understandably so. Miller has flashed in the pass and could flourish under defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile if he were the starter. Heck, head coach Liam Coen stated that he should be thrilled the Jags didn't bring in anyone to compete with him. Then again, they didn't have to.
Branson Combs had a promising outing in the offseason program and has picked up where he left off in training camp. He's quickly positioned himself to compete for the starting job next to Foyesade Olukoun in 2026.
While Combs needs to keep making strides, Coen is pleased with the work he's put in thus far.
Liam Coen is thrilled about Branson Combs' progress at Jaguars training camp
Liam Coen met with the local media early in training camp. He heaped praise on Branson Combs, noting that he has the athletic ability and the football IQ to potentially start.
"I think first and foremost his his athleticism, his ability to defend the pass. If you think about how much teams are trying to expose linebackers in coverage," Coen said (7:40 mark). "Obviously we saw what Devin [Lloyd] was able to do for us in coverage a lot last year in terms of zone and vision, and be able to create some turnovers with vision on the quarterback. I think Branson innately does that. You know, he played. I think wideout and has played a lot of different positions. Safety."
Coen continued, "He's come down, and so I think athletically he gives us something there. I think he's tough. He's smart. He understands football. I think, and it's more so him just being able to get a ton of reps. Like every single rep that Branson gets, whether it's with the first group, the second group, it doesn't matter. Those reps are important, and they're very beneficial to him. So he gives himself a chance, I think, with some of those things."
An undrafted free agent in 2025, Combs landed in Jacksonville and started his rookie season on the practice squad. He was eventually signed to the practice squad because the team's brass didn't want to risk losing him to another club. The former Wake Forest Demon Deacon only saw 28 snaps on defense but has been one of the most improved players from last year. Now, he has a realistic chance to beat Ventrell Miller for the starting job.
Branson Combs appears to have a legitimate shot to start for the Jaguars
Leaving Coen's praise aside, Combs is making the most of his chances in training camp, with John Shipley of Sports Illustrated reporting that the sophomore linebacker has done everything he can to win the starting job.
"I entered the offseason program thinking Ventrell Miller was going to run away with the starting linebacker job vacated by Devin Lloyd," Shipley wrote. "Then, Branson Combs had a terrific offseason, and the Jaguars' staff seemed very all-in on the second-year undrafted free agent linebacker, so I thought that it would be a real battle between the two in camp but, ultimately, Miller would win. After the first three days of training camp, I am not sure."
For the sake of transparency, Ventrell Miller is also a good start to training camp, but the gap between him and Combs may not be that wide.
In the end, the Jaguars will go with the best players, but Branson Combs is making the strong case to ultimately get the nod.
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