The Jacksonville Jaguars went 13-4 and won the AFC South title in 2025. But what they did last year doesn't have a bearing on the next season, and they'll have to work their way back to the playoffs once again. This time, though, the Jags are no longer flying under the radar. Teams will no longer overlook them, which arguably makes their path to a second straight division crown substantially harder.
Jacksonville will need several players to deliver. Some of them are either coming from down years or are stepping into a bigger role. Either way, they'll need to be difference-markers.
With this in mind, here are five Jaguars who are under the most pressure ahead of training camp.
No. 5 - Travon Walker, Jaguars defensive end
After going first overall in 2022, Travon Walker has become a mainstay of the Jacksonville defense. Sure, Aidan Hutchinson, who went one pick later to the Detroit Lions, has turned out to be the better of the two, but Walker is by no means a slouch. After posting just 3.5 sacks as a rookie, he registered a combined 20.5 the following two seasons.
Expected to take the next step under defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile in 2025, the former Georgia Bulldog was instead hampered by injuries. Nevertheless, that didn't stop the Jags from showing their trust in him, giving him a four-year extension worth $110 million.
Now that he's healthy, Walker needs to repay the team's trust and become the game-changer he was before injuries slowed him down.
No. 4 - Bhayshul Tuten, Jaguars running back
When the new regime took over, reports surfaced that the Jags weren't high on running back Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby. This is partly why the Jaguars drafted Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. in 2025. While Bigsby was traded a few weeks into the regular season, Etienne managed to put together a banner year.
But despite his impressive 2025, Jacksonville let Etienne walk in free agency, and Tuten is the first in line to replace him. He's garnered lots of attention, as he'll have the tough task of putting the running game on his shoulders. Working in his favor is that he showed big-play capability as a rookie. Moreover, the former Virginia Tech Hokie will get a chance to put his game-breaking speed on display with Etienne out of the picture.
That said, all eyes will be on Tuten until he prove he's a worthy heir apparent for Etienne.
No. 3 - Patrick Mekari, Jaguars right guard
The Jaguars had several holes to address in 2025, so they spared no expense in free agency. While they didn't go after big-name players, they did give a three-year, $37.5 million deal to Patrick Mekari to replace Brandon Scherff at right guard. Things didn't go as planned.
Mekari had never played right guard and had trouble hitting his stride. Compounding the issue is that he suffered a back injury late in the season that hindered his performance. Heading into Year 2, the veteran hog molly is under pressure to deliver.
Having a better grasp of the right guard position and being healthy should help Mekari bounce back next season, but if he doesn't, rookie Emmanuel Pregnon or Wyatt Milum could challenge him for the starting job.
No. 2 - Travis Hunter, Jaguars corner - receiver
The Jaguars traded up to draft Travis Hunter second overall in 2025 with the expectation that he would change the landscape of sports. He didn't, and instead failed to make an impact early in his rookie year. Still, he flashed enough promise before he suffered an LCL injury to make you think that he can develop into a playmaker.
Hunter is ahead of schedule on his recovery and should be back for training camp. He'll have a prime opportunity to validate the hype that's surrounded him dating back to his Colorado days.
No. 1 - Brian Thomas Jr., Jaguars receiver
After registering 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns as a rookie, Brian Thomas Jr. was seen as an up-and-coming star. But it all came to a screeching halt after a disappointing sophomore campaign that saw him catch just 48 receptions for 707 yards with two touchdowns.
This underwhelming performance led to trade chatter throughout the offseason. But Thomas is doing his best to get back on track. He turned heads in the offseason program, but he'll need to keep showing out in training camp and the preseason to truly shut down the noise.
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