For all the fanfare among the Duval Devout surrounding the acquisition of Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter with the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, there’s not much of a position battle at play for him.  Hunter is going to see time on the field at wide receiver almost inevitably, with a strong possibility of time at corner.  However, other rookies drafted, other free agents brought in, and other positions on the roster have compelling storylines all their own.

Offensive Line

With four free agents signed and two players drafted on the offensive line, the Jaguars rebooted front office have shown that they are serious about bringing physical toughness that the previous regime promised in the past. With last year’s starter at center, Mitch Morse, retiring after last season, guard Brandon Schreff in free agency and left tackle Cam Robinson getting traded to Minnesota in the middle of last year (now playing for the Texans), 60% of the offensive line is guaranteed to have different starters to open 2025 compared to Week 1 in 2024. Also, the volume of new arrivals puts the remaining starters, Anton Harrison and Ezra Cleveland, into a “prove it” status.

Will Patrick Mekari ascend to a role as a starter at guard or tackle after playing as a utility man in Baltimore? Will Walker Little finally become the player the franchise hoped he would after years of showing promise as a quality run blocker? Or will West Virginia guard Wyatt Milum shock us all? And that’s not even considering surprises such as former Tampa Bay center Robert Hainsey getting beat out as the team’s presumed starter. Chuma Edoga and Fred Johnson may also have something to say about their role as they battle for their shot.

There’s a lot of flux in this squad as it marks the biggest roster shake-up by volume in the Jacksonville roster.

Cornerback

Hunter’s arrival may give them an additional option at corner, but the acquisition of Jourdan Lewis also makes this group a fascinating one to observe. While Tyson Campbell and Jarrian Jones are the assumed outside corner starters, there are plenty of guys waiting in the wings. Monteric Brown has had a particularly strong showing during OTAs and fights to keep his spot on the depth chart.

With the history of injuries that the Jags have faced in their defensive secondary, an abundance of talent that even features an undrafted free agent with his share of buzz in Jabbar Muhammad battling to see the field is a problem the franchise is happy to endure.

Safety

While it’s a surprise to a few analysts out there that Darnell Savage remains on the roster, he and the newly acquired Eric Murray are where it starts for the Jaguars safety corps.  With Calab Ransaw out of Tulane coming into battle with other Jaguar incumbents Andrew Wingard, Daniel Thomas, and Antonio Johnson, this room is getting incredibly crowded quickly.

The newly arrived defensive coordinator, Anthony Campanile, will have his hands full evaluating these players and others on the docket. This is going to be so close that fit into his scheme is likely to be a deciding factor more than overall football ability and talent.

Running Back 

Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby have both had their elements of success and failure in their tenure so far as Jaguars, but soon the organization will have to make a decision on whether they will want them for the future. That evaluation begins here in training camp.

With the drafting of West Virginia’s Bhayshul Tuten and Syracuse’s LaQuint Allen, the opportunity exists for these young players to carve a place on to the Jaguars roster in a fashion that not only improves pass protection and production in the offensive backfield, but also does so at a rookie contract rate for the franshice.