JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jaguars are about a third of the way through the 2026 season, and we have learned a good bit about their rookie class thus far.
There are a handful of rookies who have played big roles for the Jaguars during their 4-2 start, while other rookies have mostly stayed on the sidelines. So, where does each rookie stand entering the bye week, and who can continue to progress toward a larger role? We break it down below.
No. 9: DE Wesley Williams
Jaguars head coach Liam Coen shouted out Wesley Williams, along with Albert Regis, for his work on the practice field last week. That is about as much as we have heard about Williams during his rookie season, however. The fourth-round Duke product has yet to be made active, which feels unlikely to change with B.J. Green coming off the injured reserve sooner rather than later. As a whole, though, this is a redshirt year for Williams as he develops behind the Jkely that he wikl aguars' veteran defensive ends for the 2027 season.
No. 8: WR CJ Williams
CJ Williams has been inactive in each Jaguars game other than Week 1, so there is not exactly a large sample size to go off of. He did good things during training camp and the offseason program, but it feels unlikely that he is going to get much playing time this year unless the Jaguars sustain some injuries at wide receiver. Perhaps that changes if the Jaguars end up trading Brian Thomas Jr. before next month's deadline, but it feels unlikely he gets an active game day jersey otherwise.
No. 7: DL Albert Regis
The second player drafted in the Jaguars' 2026 draft class, Albert Regis has missed three games this season: one in Week 3 due to injury, and then the last two weeks as a result of being a healthy scratch. Regis has played just 22 snaps and recorded two assisted tackles this season thus far, so it has been a quiet rookie year for the third-round pick. The most likely explanation is that the Jaguars feel good about their top-four defensive tackles and do not have the room in the rotation right now for Regis.
No. 6: DB Jalen Huskey
This is the one right now that just isn't making much sense to me. Jalen Huskey has only been active in one game this season, and in that game all he did was play four special teams snaps. Even with an injury to Caleb Ransaw, the Jaguars have gone with Kaevon Merriweather over Huskey now two weeks in a row, which makes it clear that we are not going to see Huskey with a role on defense for some time. Huskey needs to play more if the Jaguars keep getting dinged up at safety, but it hasn't happened yet.
No. 5: DE Bryan Thomas Jr.
Bryan Thomas Jr. is this high because of the snaps he has played, but not because of the impact he has made. The Jaguars rolled the dice with young undrafted talent at the defensive end position, and it just has not paid off yet. Thomas has one pressure on 28 rushes and his 3.6% pressure rate is the second-lowest on the team, ahead of only Danny Striggow's 2.3%. Thomas looked the part this preseason, but it has not led to many plays on the field this season.
No. 4: TE Tanner Koziol
Tanner Koziol has played just 30 offensive snaps this season and has yet to see a pass come his way, though he has seen his snaps increase some in recent weeks. He has been on the field for some big plays out of 13 personnel, but we have yet to really see what he can add to the offense via the passing game. It feels like we could eventually, though, considering how often he has been on the field recently.
No. 3: WR Josh Cameron
Josh Cameron had another big kick return against the Texans to display his special teams value, and it is clear he is making a big impact early on. His production as a pass-catcher varies week-to-week right now, but that could always change if the Jaguars opt to trade Brian Thomas Jr. during the trade deadline next month. For now, though, Cameron is a very valuable depth piece and a masssive 6th-round draft hit.
No. 2: TE Nate Boerkircher
Nate Boerkircher caught the first touchdown of his NFL career against the Texans, showing off the strong hands in the red-zone that made the Jaguars big fans of his during the draft process. He has been a strong run-blocker and has shown up each time in his limited chances in the passing game, which means the Jaguars should feel pretty happy about what they are getting from him thus far. He should keep getting better, too.
No. 1: OL Emmanuel Pregnon
Emmanuel Pregnon has had the top spot in these rankings since he became a starter at the end of training camp, and I do not see that changing anytime soon. Pregnon has had some penalty issues in the form of holding calls in recent weeks, but he has been strong in the running game and has been far from a liability as a pass-protector. He should keep getting better, too.
"Pregnon, I thought he had one of his better outings yesterday. He had the one hold and we'll continue to work with him as he goes on the second level and getting up and getting in space but I thought he played really well on the inside for us yesterday," Coen said Monday.
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