JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars' rookie class chipped in to another victory on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, and now it is time to look ahead at how the class is shaping up entering Week 6.
So, what have we seen from the Jaguars' rookies so far after the franchise's 4-1 start? We break it down below in this week's rookie power rankings.
Another week, another healthy scratch for fourth-round rookie Wesley Williams. The Jaguars have had undrafted rookie Bryan Thomas Jr. active over Williams for each of the last four games since BJ Green went down with an injury in Week 1. Williams seems unlikely to play much this season unless the Jaguars run into multiple injuries along the edge.
Sixth-round wide receiver CJ Williams was inactive for the fourth week in a row, trailing only Wesley Williams in healthy scratches amongst the rookie class. The Jaguars have rolled with four full-time receivers in recent weeks, in part because they have had three-to-four tight ends and in part because Travis Hunter is also a receiver option. Williams is unlikely to be active unless there are injuries or some kind of trade in the receiver room.
Albert Regis was a healthy scratch for the Jaguars for the first time in Week 5 against the Eagles, though there is a good chance that was due to the Jaguars having to do some gymnastics for the game day roster in terms of special teams and defensive backs due to injuries. We will see if he is active this week, though it does seem like the Jaguars like what they have gotten from their top-four veteran defensive tackles in front of Regis, too.
While Jalen Huskey was active for the first time this season on Sunday, he did not record a single defensive snap. It remains to be seen if this is going to change or if the Jaguars are going to continue to lean on Rayuan Lane and Kaevon Merriweather as their safety depth, but it certainly seems right now like the latter is more likely. Right now, it seems like a redshirt season for Huskey above all else as a rookie.
Bryan Thomas Jr. was ejected on the first play of the game after a scrap on the kickoff return, but I feel like he would have gotten some run on defense had he played the entire game. Look for him to continue to play a special teams and a backup role moving forward in his rookie season as BJ Green recovers.
Tanner Koziol has not seen a pass get thrown his way, but he has played 16 snaps over the last two weeks after just three snaps in the first three games of the season. That does indicate that his role is increasing a bit considering each of the last two weeks have been close one-score games and not blowouts like when he made his debut in Week 3.
We will have to see if the Jaguars have Nate Boerkircher on the field this weekend against the Texans after he popped up on Wednesday's injury report. He has gotten better and better as a pass-catcher in recent weeks, showing after ability to get tough yards after the catch as well as making a nice catch in traffic in the middle of the field last week. He has been a plus-run blocker, too, though he could always get more consistent there.
Josh Cameron has been one of the most productive rookie receivers in the NFL this season despite not even being close to one of the top rookies in terms of snaps and routes. Cameron has played a limited role in terms of official oppurtunity, but he has also thrived with every single pass that has come his way. Cameron has seen a target on a staggering 30.8% of his routes and he ranks No. 1 on the Jaguars' roster in terms of yards per route on a limited sample size. He is averaging just under eight routes a game, a number that must increase moving forward.
Week 5 was not Emmanuel Pregnon's best game as a Jaguars rookie so far, and I would say that Josh Cameron is inching closer to the No. 1 spot. Pregnon actually held his own more than a few times against the Eagles and was far from the offensive line's biggest issue when it came to missed blocks. The penalties have become a bit of a problem, though, with Pregnon now having five penalties through five games. Only two offensive linemen have more this season. Pregnon is also a bit banged up and was limited during Wednesday's practice. Pregnon has played well by rookie offensive lineman standards if you look at the entire season as a whole, however, and the Jaguars will certainly need him this week against the Texans.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/jaguars/onsi as Jaguars Rookie Rankings Entering Week 6: Texans Battle Brings Pressure on 2026 Draft Class .
