Coming off a 13-4 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars were expected to load up on talent to take the next step in 2026. However, they chose to mostly sit out free agency, focusing instead to re-sign their homegrown talent. That said, the Jags did make a few moves in the offseason that could have big ramifications next season. It's just that they were in the coaching staff rather than the roster.
The organization cut ties with defensive backs coach Ron Milus and hired Mathieu Araujo to replace him. On offense, they didn't move on from an assistant but did bring in Brian Picucci as the run game coordinator.
The addition of Picucci, in particular, has somewhat flown under the radar, but a local beat writer recently discuss just how much of an impact it will have.
The Jaguars made an underrated addition to Liam Coen's staff with Brian Picucci
Michael DiRocco of ESPN took part of a round table with other AFC South reporters. When asked which was the Jaguars' most underrated move of the offseason, he picked the hiring of Brain Picucci, arguing that he'll improved a running game that struggled to get going last year.
"The Jaguars' run game tailed off late last season — 128.1 yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry in Weeks 1-12 droppsing to 91.2 YPG and 3.3 YPC in Week 13-18," DiRocco wrote. "Coen hired Picucci, who helped the Tampay Bay Buccaneers' run games go from last in 2023 to fourth in the NFL in 2025, to make the unit more consistent despite the loss of their starting back Travis Etienne Jr."
DiRocco continued, "Replacing Etienne will be Chris Rodiguez Jr., Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. — who combined to rush for 901 yards last season. Picucci will be looking to get the most out of that group in 2026."
Picucci was Liam Coen's coach when he was the quarterback at UMass. He then followed to Kentucky in 2023 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers one year later.
When Coen became the Jacksonville head coach in 2025, he wanted to bring Picucci with him, but the Bucs blocked the move. One year later, he managed to bring him to the Jaguars staff.
When Coen bolted for the Jags, John Grizzard replaced him as the Tampa Bay offensive coordinator. Right off the bat, he heaped praise on Picucci for his work in the trenches, noting that he managed to get the most out of his unit even after losing left tackle Tristan Wirfs to injury.
The Jaguars are counting on Brian Picucci to give the running game a boost
The Jaguars' passing game has lots of fire power, but the running game will be a huge part of their offensive identity. Having Brian Picucci overseeing that area of the offense will help fulfill Liam Coen's vision.
Jacksonville ran lots of sets with six offensive linemen in 2025, which telegraphed the intention to run the block. That's why the team's brass drafted tight end Nate Boekircher and Tanner Koziol. They'll give Picucci a pair of chess pieces to create mismatches in the running game and add another dimension to the offense. Coupled with the addition of the gritty Emmanuel Pregnon to the offensive trenches, you can expect an improvement in the running game.
And that's the thing, the Jaguars lost Travis Etienne in free agency, but they expect sophomore Bhayshul Tuten and free-agent acquisition Chris Rodriguez to pick up the slack. With Picucci leading the way, they should be able to pull it off.
The truth is that hiring Brian Picucci isn't the kind of move that will send shockwaves across the league, but if the Jaguars offense shows improvement, he'll be one of the reasons why.
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