Intense battles at running back and linebacker highlight Jacksonville’s initial depth chart full of surprises and interesting nuggets.
The Jacksonville Jaguars released their first unofficial depth chart on Tuesday.
When a team that won 13 games a season ago is returning all but two of its starters, one might think the first depth chart wouldn't contain many surprises or be full of many interesting developments.
In this case, one would be wrong.
The departures of running back Travis Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd, combined with a few injuries and training camp competitions that are still too close for the team to pick a starter, have created several interesting storylines coming out of the depth chart.
As training camp continues and the preseason games begin, it is clear several jobs are still up for grabs while others have been taken by players who may not have started the offseason as the favorite for the spot.
Let's check out some of the most interesting takeaways from the Jaguars' first depth chart.
Running Back
The battle between second-year back Bhayshul Tuten and free agent signing Chris Rodriguez Jr. to replace Etienne as RB1 was probably the competition most people were looking forward to watching all offseason.
Unfortunately, an injury kept Rodriguez from joining his new team on the field during OTAs and minicamp practices. With the extra opportunities, Tuten took full advantage, showing off his explosive speed and playmaking abilities. He looked like a potential star. The battle everyone expected never got off the ground, and Tuten appeared to have run away with the job.
Not so fast.
Since returning to practice for training camp, Rodriguez has turned heads with his physical, powerful running style. The Jaguars' new RB has impressed enough during his short time on the field to have the depth chart list Tuten or Rodriguez as the team's starting running back.
Joint practices against the New Orleans Saints and the rest of the preseason will give both backs a shot at claiming the job for themselves. The battle everyone was looking forward to is finally on.
Linebacker
While the RB competition started later than expected, a linebacker competition that nobody expected has become one the closest on the team.
After Devin Lloyd left, the Jaguars didn't bring in any high-profile linebackers to compete for his job. Why? The team was confident that Ventrell Miller would be able to step up and fill Lloyd's shoes. Head coach Liam Coen praised Miller early and often in the offseason. It looked like Lloyd's old job was now his.
Now Miller's status as a starter is being threatened by Branson Combs, an undrafted free agent who spent the majority of his rookie season last year on Jacksonville's practice squad.
Combs has looked fantastic during camp, showing elite coverage skills that helped make Lloyd an All-Pro last season. Fellow linebacker Foye Oluokun recently spoke about how Combs has impressed him thus far.
Like at running back, the job is still up for grabs, with the depth chart listing Miller or Combs as a starter.
Offensive Tackle
Cole Van Lanen's injury has led to the offensive tackle position turning into a game of musical chairs. Walker Little, who lost the left tackle job to CVL last season, started the offseason as the Jaguars' LT. However, after continuing to struggle there as he did before ceding the job to Van Lanen, Jacksonville decided to experiment with Anton Harrison at left tackle.
Harrison has been the Jags' starting right tackle since he was the team's first-round pick in 2023. After his first day spending practice at LT, Tony Boselli just brushed it off as normal training camp tinkering and seeing what kind of versatility some of the offensive linemen had.
Harrison has been at LT ever since and is now listed as Jacksonville's starter there. Little is named the starting right tackle, at least until Van Lanen returns.
Travis Hunter
After a disappointing rookie season that was cut short after only seven games, Hunter's projected role seemed to have flipped heading into his second season. The two-way star was primarily used as a wide receiver in 2025, while occasionally being used at cornerback.
This year, the team announced that Hunter will become a full-time CB. The emergence of Parker Washington and the trade for Jakobi Meyers have made Jacksonville's need for Hunter at WR almost non-existent. However, coach Coen has been adamant that Hunter will still play offense. We just don't know how often.
The depth chart confirms both, with Hunter being listed as one of the starting CBs. Interestingly, he is also the primary backup to Brian Thomas Jr. at one of the three starting WR spots, proof that he may still be heavily involved in the offense.
Final Thoughts
There are some other notable nuggets from the team's first depth chart, like Ruke Orhorhoro being listed as the third-string three-technique DT behind Arik Armstead and Matt Dickerson. Trading for Orhorhoro was one of the Jaguars' biggest moves in an admittedly quiet offseason. He was even named as a potential breakout candidate for the Jags. Seeing him so far down the depth chart is a fairly big surprise.
The depth chart was quite a treasure chest of intriguing information. For a team with such potential this season, quite a few positions look as if they will go down to the wire before a starter is named, while others are still fighting for a better spot on the food chain, even as backups.
There will be plenty of intense competitions determined throughout the rest of camp and the preseason. It will be fun to compare this depth chart with the one that comes out before Week 1 to see how much will change over the next month.
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