Young Jaguars, Rookie Opponents Will Make Preseason Must-See TV

The preseason is not must-see television viewing for anybody but true diehard fans of the National Football League. But each and every game is crucial to the process. In 2025 Jacksonville, that is positively the case for Head Coach Liam Coen and the entire franchise.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be checking out their exciting future like WR/CB Travis Hunter, DB Caleb Ransaw, RBs Bhaysul Tuten, and other rookies for the very first time. But with that, they are going to get a first-hand glimpse of the future of the league in those games at home against Pittsburgh, and with road trips nearby in the Big Easy to take on the New Orleans Saints, with a visit to South Beach and the Miami Dolphins as well to round out the exhibition season.

In the first preseason game, seeing superstars is typically not the norm anymore. So, when the Pittsburgh Steelers roll into Duval on the second Saturday in August, fans will only see an Aaron Rodgers, Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, D.K. Metcalf, and, disappointingly enough, Jalen Ramsey in a t-shirt or hoodie. But there are some exciting rookies to take a gander at.

Mike Tomlin's team is scheduled to unveil a group that includes a protegé to Heyward in the form of a big Defensive Tackle, Derrick Harmon. Harmon is a guy who spent time in a Michigan State Spartans uniform before transferring to Oregon. Harmon's a guy who can penetrate his way into an opponent's backfield just as easily as he gobbles up ball carriers.

Also, expected to play in the preseason opener for the Men of Steel is an exciting workhorse running back in Iowa's Kaleb Johnson, and standouts from the NCAA champion Ohio State Buckeyes include QB Will Howard and Edge Jack Sawyer.

The following week in New Orleans, Jacksonville will face the Saints' quarterback of the future, Louisville's Tyler Shough, and his protection package of a lineman, Kelvin Banks of Texas.

Shough is a player who flew up draft boards in late April. With Derek Carr retired, the Saints needed to go all in, and they did in the second round with a strong-armed pocket passer who has mobility to boot. The Jaguars will encounter the rookie QB a mere six weeks before his 26th birthday.

Finally, a trip to the southern part of the state and the Dolphins offers up mammoth Michigan DT Kenneth Grant. Grant has game-wrecking ability and is a three-down guy that will be fun to watch, especially when it's not in the regular season.

Also of interest is a guy who could be the next Brock Purdy. Although he wasn't taken with the final pick as Mr. Irrelevant, QB Quinn Ewers is an absolute talent. Expect the Jags to see plenty of the Texas Longhorn passer.

While the preseason is more for development and regular season game shaping, there's going to be a lot of interest in these players to go along with the anticipation of the young Jaguar cubs.

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