3 UDFAs Who Shined at Start of Jaguars OTAs

Anytime a player is able to force a takeaway in practice, it is a big deal. The Jaguars' defensive staff stressed taking the ball away in every single thing they did a year ago, and it resulted in the unit being amongst the best in the entire NFL at it. That starts in practice for Anthony Campanile's unit, which means any player who is able to get his hands on the football deserves some praise -- including undrafted cornerback Preston Hodge.

The Jaguars' secondary recorded two interceptions against the Jaguars' quarterbacks on Tuesday, with Hodge accounting for the second one. Hodge showed good awareness and made a nice play on the pass, displaying the ball skills and ability to play routes that could have him compete for a spot on the roster.

Hodge was one of the nation's most productive cornerbacks last season as his 14 passes defensed in 2025 were tied for second most in the nation. He has shown a knack for getting his hands on the football, and this very well could provide him with his best chance to push for the No. 6 cornerback position. Christian Braswell seems to have the No. 5 spot, but more plays like the one Hodge made on Tuesday can only help his case to be a part of the secodary moving forward.

J'Mari Taylor

The Jaguars' running back room is wide-open for a reason. There are snaps to be won inside the Jaguars' backfield, rookie running back J'Mari Taylor certainly has the talent to make an impression sooner rather than later. Taylor, who impressed in rookie minicamp, once again was one of the standout members of the backfield on Tuesday, which was more impressive considering he was joined by four veterans.

Taylor showed good burst and ability to find cutback lanes during Tuesday's practice, and it is clear that he is able to give the Jaguars a different running style and element of explosiveness. It is not easy to evaluate running backs in this kind of setting, but Taylor stood out more than veteran backup running backs DeeJay Dallas and Ameer Abdullah. Taylor is set to battle with both of them for the No. 4 running back job, a battle that will likely take place over the course of the preseason.

"I think Ameer [Abdullah], bringing him in, DeeJay [Dallas] and that whole room. I'm excited to see Taylor [RB J’Mari Taylor] as well and see that whole room," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said on Tuesday after practice. "What that looks like, I think some of those guys will play in preseason games and be able to provide some of that opportunity because it's so hard to evaluate a running back until you're playing tackle football..”

Brady Boyd

The Jaguars signed a number of undrafted wide receivers this cycle, and there were a few that made some nice plays. Ben Patterson's size and frame stood out once again, Michael Wortham was active over the middle of the field, and Trebor Peña made an impressive catch for a chunk of yards toward the end of the practice. But the undrafted receiver who made the biggest impression was former Minnesota, Texas Tech, and Utah State wide receiver Brady Boyd.

Boyd made one of the best plays of the day in a 7-on-7 drill, catching a high pass from Joey Aguilar after a nice adjustment. It was a high-degree of difficulty catch, but Boyd was able to make it look routine. It was not the only play he made on the day, but it was certainly the most notable one that he was able to produce on Tuesday.

Boyd earned Honorable Mention All-Mountain West honors in 2025 after leading the team with eight touchdown receptions and ranking second on the team in catches (46) and receiving yards (743), so there is some talent there that has yet to be untapped. We will see if he continues this momentum in the weeks to come.