Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, left and Jacksonville Jaguars is executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli, right, talk on the field after the Jacksonville Jaguars’ mandatory minicamp Tuesday June 10, 2025 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3 Jaguars to Watch During First Day of Pads

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated Jul 28, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars are throwing the pads on today, and football is that much closer to being back.

With the Jaguars set to finally go full-contact for the first time under new head coach Liam Coen, there are a few key players we will be keeping an eye on.

RB Tank Bigsby

The Jaguars' backfield appears to be wide open during the early stages of training camp, though Tank Bigsby seems to have taken the reins over the last two practices. Bigsby has looked impressive thus far, but he is also a player whose game translates even better to full-contact practices thanks to his physicality.

If Bigsby already looks like the running back with the clearest path to the No. 1 running back role without pads, then expectations should be for him to take an even larger step forward on Monday and beyond. If he does that, then the workhorse role could very well be his.

WR/CB Travis Hunter

Coming off a stellar practice on Sunday in which he broke up three different passes and even held his ground against star wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., there will be plenty of eyes on Hunter as he takes on the first full-contact practice of his early NFL career. While we do not know yet which side of the ball Hunter will line up on, we do know there will be plenty of deserved attention.

Hunter has thrived so far in shorts and helmets, but the physical element of his game is something that has not yet been revealed. With the Jaguars donning the shoulder pads on Monday, however, that is set to change quickly.

DL DaVon Hamilton

One of the most underrated players on the Jaguars' defense, it is clear the front is set to rely on veteran nose tackle DaVon Hamilton quite a bit this season. And with Maason Smith sidelined, Hamilton's impact should be all the more obvious during Monday's practice.

Hamilton has looked like his old self in practice to this point in training camp, and a resurgent year from the veteran defensive tackle could lead to sweeping improvements for the Jaguars' entire defensive line.