Top 5 Jaguars Players To Watch During Jacksonville Jaguars OTA’s

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-27

[00:00:07]The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of 11 teams to officially start their OTA period during this NFL off-season. And on today's show, I figured I'd break down about five players that I'm keeping an eye on throughout this kind of you know, overall time that where the Jaguars are competing. Again, there's no pads, there's no hitting involved and everything, but just something to keep in mind ahead of the 2026 NFL season, you know, is there any good reports coming out? Is there any chance that some of these guys are getting runs with the first team? We'll talk about it all here on this episode of Jags Now presented by our wonderful friends over at PrizePicks. And guys, I got a little challenge for you at home. Last week, y'all crushed it in terms of the support and our most liked video got 217 likes. Is there any way we can beat it on today's show? Can we get 220 likes?

[00:00:52]It's a free and easy way to support us here at Chad Sports and I'd greatly appreciate it. Help us grow this Jacksonville Jaguars community. All right, getting into the first player that I'm keeping an eye on during this OTA period, and that's none other than Brian Thomas Jr. wide receiver out of LSU who I think he's going to be somebody that a lot of Jaguars fans are you know, up in the air about. Not in terms of like there's any doubt or anything, but I think in the wide receiver room last season, Parker Washington really emerged this back half of the last year as a Jaguars wide receiver one in his last month of the stretch we've talked about numerous times on the show. Zay Jones, you know, the trade for him from the Las Vegas Raiders was really something that I think gave this team a spark and a boost that really propelled them the second half of the year.

[00:01:42]And Brian Thomas Jr. didn't have a great 2025. There's no other way around it, especially coming off that 2024 rookie season where he was lighting the world on fire. And I think there's no other way to say this, this is a huge year for Brian Thomas Jr. I mean, you look at the stats on screen, they were down across the board from 2024 to 2025. And I think that a bit of his confidence was lost. I think adjusting to Liam Cohen's offense had a you know, factor into it, but his overall just fit into Jacksonville and what Liam Cohen is trying to build in Jacksonville, I think there's a role for it. And I think that Liam Cohen wants Trevor Lawrence to continue to push the ball down the field as he did much more often the second half of the season.

[00:02:25]Well, what's a great way to do that?

[00:02:26]Targeting guys that can get behind the defense. Well, what can Brian Thomas Jr.

[00:02:29]do? He can get behind the defense. He's got that blazing speed along with the physical stature to really be an imposing force on the outside. It just depends on is he going to get the trust of the coaching staff, Trevor Lawrence, and this group because these other two guys in Parker Washington and Zay Jones and Marvin Jones, they're not going anywhere and they're going to want their fair share of targets as well, but I expect Brian Thomas Jr. to be a more locked-in locked-in focused overall player for Jacksonville in 2026. But you guys, let me know down in the comment section below, who do you think the Jaguars wide receiver one is in 2026?

[00:03:02]Type PW if you think it's Parker Washington, type BTJ if you think it's Brian Thomas Jr., or type JM if you think it's Zay Jones and Marvin Jones.

[00:03:09]Getting into our second player that we're going to be watching during this OTA period and that is Emmanuel Pregnon, the offensive guard who you drafted in the third round out of the University of Oregon. We'll tell you more about him along with some other players that I want you guys to keep an eye on here for the Jaguars. Jaguars, but we could not do today's show if it wasn't for our wonderful friends over at PrizePicks.

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[00:04:55]Getting back to Emmanuel Pregnon here, who I think it's safe to say universally, it was the most celebrated pick by Jacksonville Jaguars fans, amongst national media members, and people that, you know, cover team on a daily basis to the casual fans that barely know Jacksonville even exists in Florida. I think Pregnon is somebody that is going to be a major factor in terms of this starting offensive line for Jacksonville here in 2026. I think he has a chance to really compete this upcoming season. And that leaves your two starting offensive guards potentially on the hot seat. And both Ezra Cleveland and Patrick McCary, who I I think for the most part, they were fine additions, uh or fine players, excuse me, for Jacksonville last season.

[00:05:36]But both of them kind of had their ups and downs as we kind of look at their PFF grades from last season. Ezra Cleveland, I thought he was your third best offensive lineman, but behind Anton Harrison and Cole Van Lanen.

[00:05:48]Uh you know, graded out overall pretty solid above average across the board and overall run blocking. Was really good pass uh blocker but did have three penalties and four sacks. McCoury I thought really struggled. He did have that back injury towards the back half of the year that didn't help but he wasn't playing his best football. Just you know, around average in a lot of the important grades. Did have nine penalties last year from the right guard spot and I think Emmanuel Pregnon, whether it is Ezra Cleveland who is starting that left guard spot that Emmanuel Pregnon did play last year at Oregon or Patrick McCoury at that right guard spot who I think that's more of a discussion could Pregnon challenge for the starting right guard spot. I think that, you know, going into this training camp I'm very interested to see how much run Emmanuel Pregnon gets in with the ones in the starting offensive line versus the twos and you know, obviously because they're not allowed to hit each other and actually get physical in the offensive line part of things right now, you're not going to necessarily know the, you know, full true value of what these guys are bringing to the table.

[00:06:44]That being said, I think Emmanuel Pregnon is going to get his fair shot and I'm going to just see what the reports are coming out of OTAs. Moving on to a guy who did not even take a snap last year in 2025 and that is Caleb Ransaw, the defensive back out of Tulane and I have him right now slotted on the Jaguars defensive back depth chart behind Antonio Johnson at the strong safety position and there's not really a great place that I feel about putting him because if you remember back in college, Ransaw really played a multitude of different positions while at Tulane and at Troy.

[00:07:18]You see the numbers on screen. 766 snaps in the slot but you got Jordan Lewis who you signed to a contract last off season to kind of lock up that role. He's healthy so I'm not sure if he's going to overtake Jordan Lewis's spot. Can play a little outside corner and he plays a little bit of box safety. So I think he's kind of a versatile chess piece that I'm not really sure what his role is. I think he's going to have a spot no uh, regardless, and he's going to have an opportunity to play. I'm just really not sure where that is. And as I mentioned off the top, he did miss 2025, uh, the entire season with a foot injury that he suffered in the off-season program last year. And I think that, based on all reports so far from yesterday, he looks healthy, he looks like he's ready to go.

[00:08:00]I'm interested to see how Anthony Campanile and the crew use Caleb Rimsdale in 2026. Keep an eye on him during this off-season period. Moving on now to Chris Rodriguez, who He was one of, I think, four, uh, four to six Jaguars players who did not participate uh, in the Jaguars OTAs program yesterday. Uh, they don't have to disclose any injuries NFL teams do at this point, so we're not quite sure what the deal is with Chris Rodriguez, but he was a year loan really like external free agent that you brought in if you're Jacksonville to kind of replace the void that was left by Travis Etienne. And I think he's going to have a a notable role. You see last year at 500 yards in 13 games, six rushing touchdowns, 4 and 1/2 yards per carry. And you know, based on Etienne, I would still imagine is this team's RB1 going into next season. And how much of that snap share, how money, or what opportunities will Chris Rodriguez get under Liam Cohen? I'm not really sure.

[00:08:55]We've talked about it in the past that they have that connection from Liam Cohen's time as the offensive coordinator back when he was in Kentucky. Chris Rodriguez had his best season in college. So, they clearly have familiarity with one another. This, uh, you know, undisclosed keeping him out of OTAs not the greatest start, uh, that you would love to hear from Chris Rodriguez. That being said, he could very much, uh, very well, uh, show up today during OTAs. So, we'll see kind of the update on that. But regardless, I think he's going to be a factor in this offense. We'll see how much of it it will be when the season actually kicks off. And finally, the last player that I'm kind of keeping an eye on, and this is one that we've hinted at in terms of I think for For most part, you can pencil in a lot of starters for the Jacksonville Jaguars. That being said, that linebacker spot next to Foye Oluokun, I think Devin Lloyd is your Sam linebacker who is going to contribute a lot more on pass rush downs and defending the run. I don't think you want him backpedaling that much. So, in your kind of base nickel sets, Foye Oluokun is going to be your Mike.

[00:09:53]Is it going to be Ventrell Miller or is it going to be Jack Kaiser that's you know takes that will linebacker spot in Anthony Campanile's defense? Obviously, Devin Lloyd left for the Carolina Panthers during NFL free agency not too long ago. So, I think it's a competition between both of these fourth-round or former fourth-round draft picks and Ventrell Miller and Jack Kaiser.

[00:10:15]Does Kaiser get a real crack at it? It feels like Ventrell Miller is the leader in the clubhouse as we currently sit here. So, I'm not really sure how much of a fight Jack Kaiser can give. That being said, he is a James Gladstone draft pick. So, maybe they have more of a vision of what he could be for Jacksonville in 2026. Ultimately, we'll see how much of the workload he gets with the ones versus a guy like Ventrell Miller. But, let me know down in the below in the comment section, which player are you most wanting to hear about from OTAs? I just gave you guys five names that I'm really excited to potentially hear about. So, let me know down in the comment section. That'll conclude this episode of Jags Now presented by Chat Sports. Thank you guys so much for tuning in. We will have you covered with all the latest Jags news and rumors throughout the off-season.

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