The Jacksonville Jaguars may have won 13 games last season on the back of the finest individual season of Trevor Lawrence's career, but that doesn't mean that everyone is sold on Liam Coen being able to replicate his success in 2026. Part of the reason for that skepticism is that the offense will be undergoing a major shift in who locks down a starting spot.
Not only has Brian Thomas Jr. been seemingly replaced as the top wide receiver after the trade for Jakobi Meyers and the emergence of Parker Washington, but the Jaguars' decision to let Travis Etienne leave in free agency has pushed 2025 fourth-rounder Bhayshul Tuten into a starting role. As such, some analysts aren't exactly filled with glowing praise for this unit as a whole.
Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame ranked all 32 sets of "triplets" (quarterback, running back, top pass-catching option) across the league, and Jacksonville came in 22nd place. Meyers was masterful after the trade, and Lawrence got some MVP consideration, so the only reason they are ranked this low is more doubts about Tuten.
SI ranks Jaguars as 22nd-best QB-RB-WR unit due to Bhayshul Tuten
Bhayshul Tuten was picked due to his breakaway speed, but he managed just 3.7 yards per carry and didn't have a play longer than 24 yards in the regular season. However, the former Virginia Tech Hokie did manage to find the end zone seven times on just 93 total touches as a rookie, so he does have a nose for the end zone.
On top of that, Tunen toted the rock four times for 51 yards in the playoffs, so he definitely has shown the ability to break off big runs.
With Chris Rodriguez on the mend and LeQuint Allen not guaranteed much of anything despite making waves as a rookie, there's a good chance that Tuten ends up as an unquestioned bell cow who touches the ball 20 times every game. That's a big jump in production, and it's unknown if the sophomore running back can handle that.
If Liam Coen can work his developmental magic on Tuten, which has helped Bucky Irving, Kyren Williams, and Rachaad White thrive in Tampa Bay and Los Angeles, the Jags can replace Etienne with a cheaper alternative who provides at least similar production. Getting an Etienne-type season from Tuten should push Jacksonville to the fringes of the Top 10.
Time will tell if the Jaguars were justified in breaking up the Lawrence-Etienne partnership and rolling with the younger Tuten. So far, the early returns from across the media landscape seem to be predicting a major regression for the Jacksonville running game, and it's on Tuten to prove them wrong.
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