Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen runs on the field during an NFL scrimmage event at EverBank Stadium, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars' Rookie Earns Encouraging Grade in Preseason Finale vs. Dolphins

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 11:30 AM ET

Head Coach Liam Coen decided that he had seen enough from his starters throughout the first two weeks of preseason. Between the Jacksonville Jaguars' first two exhibitions, training camp, and practices, he felt comfortable with what his first-teamers had shown ahead of the 2025 NFL campaign. In their final preseason outing against the Miami Dolphins, Coen gave his key players the day off, electing to instead use that game to evaluate his young players and depth pieces.

He and General Manager James Gladstone will be grateful for the extra tape they got in South Beach, as it should help them make their deliberations to cut down to the final 53-man roster for the year. A few different prospects took full advantage of their opportunities against Miami, including undrafted free agent B.J. Green II, whose impressive run throughout the preseason has fans hoping that he'll remain in Jacksonville for the foreseeable future.

One player who probably didn't need to make a case for the final roster but still impressed against the Dolphins was rookie linebacker Jack Kiser. The Jaguars selected him in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame. He's expected to be one of the first substitutions for Jacksonville's defense this year.

Jack Kiser impresses in his opportunity against the Miami Dolphins in Jaguars' preseason finale

In his final season with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Jack Kiser totaled 90 combined tackles, including 55 solo, which led all players from independent programs for the year. Five of his tackles resulted in a loss of yards for the opposing offense, and he also added two sacks.

That earned him the 107th-overall pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2025 NFL Draft. He showed his enticing talent again in the team's Week 3 preseason clash against the Miami Dolphins, coming away with four tackles, one for a loss, a quarterback hit, and a sack.

That performance earned him the attention of NFL.com's Chad Reuter, who gave a "B" grade against the Dolphins:

"Kiser tried to lock down a top-four linebacker spot against Miami. He hustled to the ball in the first half, keeping blockers at bay with his hands and corralling backs whether they tried to bounce outside or cut inside. Kiser was a step too late on a fourth-down pass blitz but got home on a third down at the end of [the] first half. He also stayed with his zone-coverage targets in short areas. Kiser was less impactful in the second half, getting blocked out of run plays, whiffing on an unblocked blitz and failing to get enough depth in coverage to stop a fourth-and-long."

It may not have been a perfect outing for the rookie, but that's what preseason is for, fine-tuning one's skills and preparing for the speed and physicality of the NFL game. Hopefully, Jack Kiser can ace his next test for the Jaguars.

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This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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