Latest / Duval Daily: A Jacksonville Jaguars Podcast / Jaguars Biggest X-Factors in 2026?

Transcript

Jaguars Biggest X-Factors in 2026? · Duval Daily: A Jacksonville Jaguars Podcast

• 0:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Texanville Jaguar's fans welcome in to do vault daily presented by Jinjag.com and fueled by brass tax coffee right now we are talking about Jaguar's X-Factor.
• 0:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: So Ben Solack over at ESPN recently did an article highlighting the X-Factor player for every team in the NFL.
• 0:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so obviously also did the Jaguars and we're going to dive into what he thinks about the Jaguar's X-Factor.
• 0:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: and I'll link it below.
• 0:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then also my thoughts on his take and then some other ex-factors that I think will be huge for the Jaguars here in 2026.
• 0:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: So excited to get into it.
• 0:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Really appreciate y'all being here.
• 0:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you enjoy the content, please like and subscribe.
• 0:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can also hit that high button.
• 0:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: So he has Travis Hunter.
• 0:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Unsurprisingly, as the Jaguars ex-factor and I'll go ahead and co-sign on that.
• 0:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's a,
• 0:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely, Travis Hunter, and we'll take a look at what he has to say.
• 0:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: So like right, I'm going to call Hunter an ex-factor until I feel confident in what he is and isn't capable of.
• 0:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not close yet on either side of the ball.
• 1:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: I thought Hunter was a better defensive back than why do see if we're coming out of Colorado.
• 1:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: But Hunter only had 154 snaps on defense before an injury to the LCL in his right knee last season, not nearly enough to evaluate him.
• 1:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: And given his hybrid training camps, it was reasonable to expect him to be slow out of the gate.
• 1:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: It looks now that Hunter will spend far more time on defense, where the Jaguars are deep, Monterey, Brown Jordan, Los and Jordan Jones, but lack a true CB1.
• 1:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: If Hunter, who would have been the highest draft of quarterback in NFL history,
• 1:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: If he were just a regular corner, can settle into that role.
• 1:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: The Jaguars will have two cornerstone pieces at Ed Dressor, Josh Hines Allen and Traybaum Walker, and another at Corner, the premium positions.
• 1:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Hunter is particularly interesting as an X-factor corner because he can play the ball in Generate Turnovers.
• 1:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he will risk some Feast or Famim plays that might need smoothing over in the coming years, but in a Zone Heavy approach under Coordinator Anthony Campanilae, it's reasonable to expect him to quickly be among the league's best in anticipating combinations.
• 1:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: and jumping routes.
• 1:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: With Parker Washington's Kobe Myers and Brian Thomas Jr. still in hand on offense, hunters impact on the other side of the ball might be minimal, minimal, but consider how big of an X factory, he'll be in one of if one of the three is lost because of a big injury and suddenly a first-round talent is coming off the bench to fill some of the snaps.
• 2:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's still a theoretical, but hunters potential impact is sky high.
• 2:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so I think that's all that is pretty much right on the money, honestly.
• 2:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that he is the Jaguar's biggest ex-factor.
• 2:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: As I mentioned, I totally agree with that.
• 2:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: And for me, there is the element of the receiver part of it too.
• 2:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: But just like, if you just think of him as a corner, I still think he's the biggest ex-factor.
• 2:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I don't, to be clear, I don't just think of him as a corner.
• 2:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's going to have receiver snaps, right?
• 2:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: But if you just think about Travis Hunter the corner, that is still the biggest ex-factor on the team.
• 2:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: because if he can come in and feel it's not going to be one to one because there are some defensive changes with Matthew or Rujo coming over, they're trying to do a little bit more match concepts and just vision zone concepts, but if he can come in and be a true CB1 and he doesn't even have to be like top five or I think he probably will be somewhere
• 3:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: If he plays to a level that represents his skill level at corner and be plays like a number one corner for you, I think you look at that as just a massive, massive change in what the Jaguar's had at corner back last year.
• 3:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because the one player that is not there that is being replaced by Travis Hunter is Greg Newsom.
• 3:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: and Greg knew some did not play well last year in the Jaguar scheme.
• 3:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, that is a huge part of it, but then yeah, I think so like talking about offense too, he will have snaps on offense even with the Jaguar is completely healthy.
• 4:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, if there was a situation where he had to start playing more offense, that would be even bigger in terms of potential impact like so like says so that is definitely one of the biggest X factors and I think it is the biggest X factor.
• 4:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, for the Jack Wars, just Travis Hunter playing good ball, especially on defense this year.
• 4:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: So if you can do that, that's something that they just did not have last year.
• 4:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Right, a true kind of lock down corner.
• 4:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: He can give them that or anything close to that in year two.
• 4:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I mean, his next game will be his eighth game and his career, right?
• 4:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And most of his snaps during his rookie season, or you could at least say the majority of his snaps during his rookie season were on offense.
• 4:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, excited to see him out there, no doubt about it.
• 4:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: great take by so lack there, not a super, you know, going out on a limb take, right?
• 4:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's easy to kind of look at Travis Hunter and say he's the Jaguar's biggest X-factor, but I think it's right.
• 5:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: I really do.
• 5:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: A few more X-factors, we're going to get into here.
• 5:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: I do think Brian Thomas Jr.'s a pretty darn big X-factor because you talk about, like, on offense, what might you have that you did not have last year?
• 5:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: maybe a little bit more efficient running game, but if you can have Brian Thomas Jr playing like the Brian Thomas Jr, we've kind of seen this offseason in training camp, the Brian Thomas Jr. you saw during his rookie year, that's a big change, that is a huge change for the Jaguar's offensive, you get that.
• 5:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now, if you just get the guy that you had at the end of last year who was a vertical field stretcher and was getting targeted three, four, five times a game, not a featured part of the offense necessarily in terms of target share, but was helping, um, you know, create spacing and getting, getting other guys open and, and taking away the opponents number one corner a lot of times, things like that, that's still extremely helpful.
• 6:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: But if he's doing that and producing at a higher level, this is kind of an equation changer.
• 6:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like the results are going to look different and they're going to look even more impressive at that becomes the case.
• 6:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: If Ryan Thomas's interview becomes a player that is playing to his potential, this offense changes greatly.
• 6:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, truly, I think that that could be the peace that kind of sets the Jaguar's offense on a path to be one of the best offenses.
• 6:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Probably the best offense we've ever seen in Jacksonville, but one of the best offenses in the league, bar none, maybe the best offense in the league, like I don't think these things are off the table if Brian Thomas Jr. can play that way.
• 7:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: There is another player on the offensive side of the ball
• 7:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: has a huge part to play and is definitely a major x-factor.
• 7:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: I do, but first, we got to lock it in over at my bookie.
• 7:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: The my bookie lock of the season is back.
• 7:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: The first one is an absolute no-brainer with the Patriots in Seattle for NFL kickoff, which is so, so close, cannot wait for it.
• 7:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: My bookie is asking one simple question.
• 7:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Will the sea ox raise their championship banner that night?
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Of course they will.
• 7:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: The defending champs home opener raising the banner before kickoff is part of the celebration you're getting that bet at plus money odds you're getting paid to say yes.
• 7:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: The C-Ox will do the thing the entire night is built around.
• 7:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's the first my book you lock the season there will be more coming all season long.
• 7:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Get in before kickoff sign up at my book you with my promo code.
• 7:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: do wall do you VAL all caps and start your season off with a win anytime anywhere that's my book he code do wall must be 21 plus 18 plus and selectors sticks in terms and conditions apply gambling problem call 100 gambler or visit 100 gambler.net for free competition support available 24 seven so the rest of my x factors are all on offense I think the defense you know outside of Travis hunter just feels very locked in
• 8:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know people could talk about ventral Miller, or bring some, I feel good about ventral.
• 8:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: I've seen him play a lot of ball, right?
• 8:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: COVID-19 lands knee.
• 8:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: COVID-19's health is COVID-19 land and ready to be the guy that came in and stabilized the Jack Wars offensive line last year.
• 8:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: That helped to stabilize the entire offense.
• 8:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Is he ready to be that guy and win?
• 8:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Is he ready to be that guy?
• 8:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's a huge ex-factor, the Jaguar is having.
• 8:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: After a week one, the Jaguar is having absolute gauntlet, going to Denver, hosting the Patriots, going to Cincinnati, going over to London to play the Eagles and the Texans.
• 8:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's a gauntlet.
• 8:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not saying they have to have Cole Manlainen to survive that.
• 9:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, they expect him to be back sooner rather than later, maybe even in week one.
• 9:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's a pretty darn big deal because if he's out there, you suddenly have this like above average offensive line that is much better in past pro and in the run game and it just feels stabilized and steady.
• 9:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: If he's not out there, there's a lot that could go wrong honestly with the offensive line.
• 9:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: So to me that is, yeah, a huge X factor.
• 9:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: An annual pregnant one I have as an X factor as well
• 9:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's on the offensive line.
• 9:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's a pretty big swing for a team that has championship aspirations.
• 9:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: And look, I think Pragnon's been great the last month or so.
• 9:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he's been absolutely great for the Jaguars.
• 9:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: He is physical.
• 9:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: He has been diligent in his work ethic.
• 9:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: You've heard great Edinsky and others talk about it how hard he's been working, how much time he's been spending trying to master the offense, master his position.
• 10:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: But he's slated to plug in at left guard.
• 10:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so, there's the, can he handle, like, past protection in terms of physically, but like just like the rules and all that and then, if he can, that's a huge win for the Jaguars because now you have like an upgraded guard room compared to last year because Ezra Cleveland is a very good guard and manual pregnant on has the physical ability to be a very good guard and has been showing that the last month.
• 10:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: but then you also have, he can actually elevate.
• 10:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: If he's playing good ball as a rookie, he can elevate what this offense is with his physicality, with his strength.
• 10:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's a big deal.
• 10:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: And the final one is definitely in my opinion, the least, the least,
• 11:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: impactful, but it could still be very impactful.
• 11:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's Nate Borkerture.
• 11:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: The Jaguar's drafted him so that they could get Britain strange moving around a little bit more, so they could be better in 12 personnel than they were last year.
• 11:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Is Nate Borkerture ready to come in and kick some butt?
• 11:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: Is he ready to come in and at least be able to execute the assignments that are asked of him in the blocking game?
• 11:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's going to be a huge x-factor for 12 personnel.
• 11:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: And they're going to be a 11-person ol' heavy team.
• 11:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: They have the, it would be silly to not be in 11 a lot when you have all the receivers the jaguars have.
• 11:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Three wide receivers sets are going to be, by far, they're most utilized formation.
• 11:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: But you want to be able to get into 12.
• 11:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: You want to be able to get into 13 at times.
• 11:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, can Nate Borkercher really allow them to do that, like, and they did it last year, right?
• 11:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: They weren't like, it wasn't like they didn't run 12.
• 12:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: But they weren't as effective running 12 as they would like to be.
• 12:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: And Nate Borkercher can really help unlock a lot of that, I think, if he is playing a good ball and doing the things that they expect him to do as a rookie.
• 12:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: So those are my ex-factors.
• 12:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let me know what your ex-factors is in the comment section below.
• 12:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you enjoy the content, please like and subscribe.
• 12:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Y'all have a great one.