5 Jaguars Whose Roles Changed the Most This Summer

How much we should actually read into Travis Hunter's training camp usage remains to be seen, because we will not really know exactly how he will be deployed until the real games begin. With that said, Hunter's heavy usage on the defensive side of the ball over the last few weeks of training camp is the biggest indication of his role as CB1 that the Jaguars have shown since they drafted him last April.

Hunter spent more of his time as a rookie at receiver than cornerback, and all indicators both from camp and the Jaguars' roster construction suggests that ratio will likely be flipped this year. Hunter will still be expected to be part of the passing attack on offense, but this summer was the first time Hunter's usage has leaned defensively to such a degree, making him the obvious choice for the first name on this list.

OL Emmanuel Pregnon

It was clear entering training camp that talented third-round rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon had an exciting future, but that his career would start as a backup. Well, that certainly changed over the course of the summer as Pregnon established himself as one of the Jaguars' five best offensive linemen, opening the door for him to be the Jaguars' only rookie starter in Week 1.

This was not the case at the start of camp, even with Patrick Mekari sidelined. Pregnon started camp as the backup left guard behind veteran Ezra Cleveland, and he did not start getting reps with the first-team offense until the Jaguars began to face a rapid set of injuries along the offensive line. Once Pregnon got into the lineup, though, he never let up and he ended camp with the first-team offense even when the rest of the Jaguars' line had returned to the field. There is a lot of excitement about him inside the Miller Electric Center.

EDGE BJ Green

It seemed clear entering training camp that BJ Green would be one of the Jaguars' top depth options at defensive end alongside fellow second-year defensive end Danny Striggow. Striggow seemed like he was ahead of Green on the depth chart as rookies, and this made him the obvious candidate for the No. 3 edge role entering camp as a result. But after the way Green performed this summer, it is clear he is the man for the job.

Green was dominant at times over the course of camp, both against the Jaguars' offensive line and in joint practices against opposing defensive lines. His burst and ability to generate quick pressure as a pass-rusher makes him a natural change-up option to throw in the pass-rush rotation, and he improved against the run quite a bit as well.

LB Branson Combs

Branson Combs was an undrafted free agent who spent time on the practice squad a year ago, so he has taken quite the leap since then. He is now not only a member of the 53-man roster, but he battled with Ventrell Miller over the summer and, regardless of whatever the result of said battle is, will play a clear role on the defense.

Combs is arguably the Jaguars' best coverage linebacker, which could allow him to platoon with Miller at the linebacker spot across from Foyesade Oluokun. That is quite the change for him compared to where he was entering the spring's offseason program, and Combs has now become a legit piece of the defensive plans as a result.

RB Ameer Abdullah

Ameer Abdullah entered training camp as a bit of an afterthought, with many (myself included) believing that the running back with the inside track to the No. 4 running back job being undrafted rookie J'Mari Taylor. The Jaguars kept Taylor on the practice squad, but it is Abdullah who won the No. 4 job and a place on the 53-man roster with his training camp and preseason performances.

With LeQuint Allen injured and seemingly unlikely to play in Week 1, Abdullah could play a role for the Jaguars' offense as early as the first game of the year. That would be a big shift for a running back who was not on many 53-man roster projections entering training camp earlier this summer, but he earned it.