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Jacksonville Jaguars offense preview: Trevor Lawrence, Travis Hunter lead turnaround effort
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- Jacksonville Jaguars offense preview: Trevor Lawrence, Travis Hunter lead turnaround effort
The Jacksonville Jaguars have made it to the regular season.
After completing a grueling preseason that featured 19 training camp practices, three games and two inter-squad scrimmages, the team can begin its regular season slate.
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It was a long offseason, featuring an overhauling of the former leadership structure for a new one. That includes the installation of Tony Boselli as executive vice president, James Gladstone as general manager and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen as head coach.
Overall Camp Standouts: 5 Jacksonville Jaguars who stood out in training camp, including Travis Hunter
The team drafted nine rookies with the headliner being two-way star Travis Hunter , a player who the team fully intends to play on both sides of the ball.
They also signed a large free agent class after moving on from several veteran players this offseason.
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The question is, how improved will the Jaguars be? Especially on offense where they ranked 25th in the league in rushing, barely mustering more than 100 yards per outing in 2024.
The team didn't fare much better passing the ball. With Trevor Lawrence missing seven games due to injury, and Mac Jones leading the charge, they finished 24th overall and averaged 204.5 yards per game through the air.
Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, left, Jacksonville Jaguars is executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli, center and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, right, all talk on the field after the Jacksonville Jaguars’ mandatory minicamp Tuesday June 10, 2025 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
The poor play left them ranked 25th overall in total offense, a far cry from Coen's Buccaneers in 2024. Tampa Bay was among the league's top offenses, ranking third overall with nearly 400 yards per outing.
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The Buccaneers also led the league in first quarter scoring last season. They were able to get off to quick starts, something the Jaguars consistently struggled to do under former head coach Doug Pederson.
Now, it's up to Coen to duplicate Tampa Bay's successful offensive output in Jacksonville.
How improved will the Jaguars' offense be in 2025?
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen walks on the sideline during the first quarter of an NFL preseason matchup at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
How much does coaching matter?
It's a question we'll soon see the answer to as Coen takes over his first head coaching job in the NFL and tries to turnaround a statistically bad offense.
According to Warren Sharp's Football Preview, Tampa was among teams with the most usage of 11 personnel. The player grouping includes three wide receivers joined by one running back and one tight end.
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The Jaguars will likely play their fair share of 11, with wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. , Dyami Brown and Hunter. Add in Brenton Strange at tight end and a rotation of running backs to deploy based on down and distance, the Jaguars have their core offensive players.
Coen spent time with the Los Angeles Rams prior to joining Tampa Bay and draws influence from Rams coach Sean McVay. That means a heavy dosage of misdirection and motion plays are in the playbook, gaining information from defenses while also disguising true intentions.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) gets coached by Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen during the Jaguars 14th NFL training camp session at Miller Electric Center Tuesday August 12, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars travel to New Orleans to play the Saints this Sunday in their second preseason game. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
"You have to know your stuff, but it gives you all the answers," Lawrence said of Coen's system this spring. "You don't feel like you are stuck in a play that's not set up for success. It gives us a lot of answers."
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Those answers come in the form of multiple reads and options once the ball is snapped. The system has low-risk safety valves that often allows for easy gains through the air.
A lot of credit can be given to their emphasis in the run game. Tampa finished fourth in the league in rushing offense, averaging 149.1 yards per game and scoring 41 touchdowns on the ground in 2024.
As previously mentioned, the Jaguars were near the bottom of the league in the category. It was an area that never got going. The Bucs weren't always dominant in the run game last season, however, but eventually it got on track.
"It's not just the coaches, it's not just the scheme, it's not just the players. It's everything working in conjunction," center Robert Hainsey said. Hainsey spent last season in Tampa Bay in Coen's offense. "I do see that here. I see that being the calling card. They're emphasizing it. That's what they want this offense to be because it's important in any offense, but this one specifically, to be able to run the ball to set up everything else."
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Lastly, scheme — with a focus on play design — was an area that needed to be addressed this offseason. It was even mentioned by owner Shad Khan during an end of season press conference after firing Pederson in January.
"Right now, we are the most predictable team on both sides of the ball," Khan said emphatically. "Football, to win, deception is a big part of it."
Coen brings creativity the previous regimes lacked. His offense is modernized and he's always drawing inspiration from around the league.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4) talks with Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen after the Jaguar’s 12th NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
His time with the Rams holds heavy influence, but he admittedly uses ideas from his peers and fellow coaches on staff to come up with plays. Even during training camp he found himself tuning in to games to see what other offenses were doing, naming Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears as someone he recently watched.
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Coen's creativity is something even players on the opposite side of the ball have taken note of.
"He makes everything look the same I would say," defensive end Josh Hines-Allen said of Coen's plays. "Making 12 look like 11 (personnel), doing a lot of different front variations, doing a lot of jet sweeps, run traps, getting a lot of edge progressions, a lot of midzone. They do a lot of different things, and then all that marries off the play action as well."
What is the biggest question for offense ahead of the 2025 season?
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) waves to the fans in the stands during an NFL training camp session ten at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
The biggest question for the Jaguars' offense is what impact will Travis Hunter have. The rookie player is projected among starters for the offense, but is that what his role will be throughout the year?
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With his ability to play on both sides of the ball, and the relative thin experience at boundary cornerback, will Hunter find himself playing more defense than offense this year?
Coen said Hunter's plan wouldn't change after injuries to Montaric Brown and Tyson Campbell , but that was during camp. It was a period of time where they could control almost all variables.
If an injury happens to a corner during the game, it'll likely impact Hunter's plan moving forward. If that injury happens to force a player to the injured reserve list, Hunter's time on offense likely would be decreased.
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) dances during an NFL scrimmage event at EverBank Stadium, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
However, there is a flipped way of thinking. What if an injury happens to Brown or Thomas during the season, forcing him to take a larger slice of Jacksonville's offense as his own.
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What if Hunter's play on offense deems his full attention to that side of the ball. It's not out of reason with his versatility, athleticism and other-worldly playmaking ability making him a matchup nightmare for opposing teams.
Hunter logged 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns during his final college season. He showed his ability to dominate as a top receiver and has the skills to translate that to the NFL.
If he can get his footing in Coen's offense, he potentially could break some of the franchise rookie receiving records set last year by Thomas.
Why Trevor Lawrence will be the most important part of the offense in 2025
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) runs on the field before an NFL preseason matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers of an NFL preseason matchup at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
The most important piece of Jacksonville's offense is Lawrence.
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Coming of a shortened season due to a concussion and season-ending shoulder surgery to his non-throwing arm, eyes will be on the former No. 1 overall pick.
The Jaguars are entering the season with five new projected starters. That includes two new pass catchers, two new offensive linemen and a third-year player stepping into a bigger role. Not to mention the abbreviated season Lawrence had with Thomas last year.
But as previously noted, Coen's system should amplify the play of Jacksonville's offense. The biggest beneficiary of an updated system will be Lawrence, who'll enter the season with his fifth new playcaller and third new head coach in five years.
Lawrence had multiple hurdles to clear this offseason. The first and biggest was feeling healthy after the season-ending shoulder surgery.
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Lawrence did not throw a football for an extended portion of the offseason as he was in a sling. Even once the sling came off and he began to ramp up training for OTAs and minicamp, he wasn't as clean as he typically is.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - AUGUST 17: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars looks to pass during the first quarter of the NFL Preseason 2025 against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on August 17, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
But as he entered training camp, he looked much better and accurate in his passes.
The next hurdle for Lawrence this offseason was learning a new scheme. Lawrence has operated out of relatively outdated offenses for most of his career. As noted, he's played under five different playcallers in his NFL career.
But by all accounts, Lawrence has taken the neccessary steps to clear that hurdle, though. He took a test on his knowledge of the system as he returned from summer vacation and scored a 85 out of 100.
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Some of the answers were correct but the system malfunction, he quipped. Still, to score that highly after only a few months of being in Coen's system reflects highly on him.
"I think I've made some big strides from the spring as far as the system," Lawrence said during training camp. "Being comfortable, playing fast, getting through progressions, letting it rip, especially across the middle, and anticipating some throws. I think it's been a lot better than the spring."
The last hurdle he needed to clear was changing his footwork to comply with Coen's system. It's something was discussed at length on multiple occasions. By all accounts, it's something that's been resolved.
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"It's starting to feel a lot more comfortable and natural," Lawrence told reporters during training camp. "I'm not having to think about it. I'm not having to say, 'Okay, what's my footwork on this play?' None of that stuff anymore, obviously."
With all hurdles cleared, the runway is there for Lawrence to return to form. He's a tweener as an NFL quarterback right now. He's had flashes of top-end potential, but hasn't consitently sustained the play for long enough to be regarded as elite.
Lawrence has passed for 13,885 yards with 69 touchdowns and 46 interceptions in his career with a career completion percentage of 63.3 percent.
His best season was in 2022 in Pederson's first season as head coach. He passed for a career-high 4,113 yards with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 66.3 percent of his passes.
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Could his first season with Coen eclipse those marks? It's very possible after seeing what Coen did with Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers last season.
Especially when you add in the fact that the Jaguars have surrounded Lawrence with several dynamic pass catchers and a running back room that has good depth.
"We're talented, we're well coached, we have a good scheme," Lawrence said when asked how good the team can be this season. "You can't speak on the results because we have to go out and do it and we have to perform, but I really feel confident that we'll be prepared come the first game. We'll be ready to play."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: What will Travis Hunter's impact be on Jacksonville Jaguars offense?
