Jaguars' Day 8 scrimmage highlights strong running back play and young pass rushers, but offensive line struggles
In Friday's intra-team scrimmage, Jacksonville's backfield and emerging defensive ends impressed, while the offensive line and backup offense showed weaknesses.
Jacksonville held its eighth practice scrimmage on Friday, giving coaches a chance to evaluate depth across the roster. Five of the six running backs recorded notable gains, with Bhayshul Tuten consistently picking up five-yard runs, Chris Rodriguez Jr. delivering short-yardage work and an eight-yard goal-line rush, and LeQuint Allen catching a red-zone touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence. Ameer Abdullah and J'Mari Taylor also produced big plays, suggesting a competitive backfield.
Wide receiver Parker Washington continued to draw attention, securing multiple catches with minimal defensive pressure, while Brian Thomas Jr. added two third-down receptions and a touchdown, despite a single drop. The defensive end group, built largely from internal development, saw Danny Striggow, B.J. Green and rookie pass rushers such as Wesley Williams and Zach Durfee make positive strides, reinforcing confidence in the unit’s depth ahead of preseason games.
Linebacker Ventrell Miller earned additional snaps against the starting defense and recorded several run stops, positioning him favorably in the competition for the starting role over Branson Combs.
Conversely, the offensive line faced setbacks as injuries sidelined Cole Van Lanen, Patrick Mekari, Walker Little, Chuma Edgoa and Emmanuel Pregnon, forcing backups Wyatt Milum and Jonah Monheim into the right tackle and guard spots. The resulting mismatch against the starting defensive line contributed to a less effective backup offense, which managed only two turnovers – an interception by Nick Mullens and a fumble by Chandler Brayboy.
Special teams remained largely reliable, though kicker Cam Little missed an extra point early in the scrimmage before converting several field goals later.
Overall, the scrimmage underscored the Jaguars' promising depth at running back and defensive end, while highlighting concerns about offensive line health and the consistency of second-team offensive players.