Jaguars mailbag: How good has Travis Hunter looked? Will offensive, defensive lines be better?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars wrapped up their offseason program on Thursday and now break for a brief respite before the grind of training camp begins next month. News4JAX posed some mailbag questions to fans on X Thursday morning and we’re answering some of those here.

Jamal St. Cyr: Right now if they played a game I’d say it was Eric Murray and Andrew Wingard. I think training camp will play a big role. I’m not sleeping on Darnell Savage who had a good offseason or rookie Caleb Ransaw who started making more play late in camp.

The red zone defense has looked good and Travis Hunter just looks like a natural athlete out there making the game look easy. I’d bet Tank Bigsby at RB1.

Justin Barney: I like this group a lot more than last year’s. Wingard just seems to work when he’s out on the field. I don’t know if he’s my opening day starter, but it’s close. It will be Dewey or Murray in one spot and I’m going to lean Savage in the other. Ransaw could be starting at some point. Antonio Johnson is another player who i think has had a solid offseason.

JSC: Normally, it is guaranteed money. I’m not putting a ton of energy into monitoring it. If he hasn’t signed and training camp is close then panic.

JB: My guess is something with money structure is the holdup. But Hunter has been taking part in all of the offseason program, and his situation isn’t like what’s going on in Cincinnati with first-round pick Shemar Stewart. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Bengals are trying to change contract language that “allows the team to void future guarantees,” and that has created a tense situation there. Hunter’s situation is unique and is being treated as such. Until he starts missing sessions and going public with his dissatisfaction like Stewart has, I’m not worried in the slightest.

JSC: Only time will tell. Anton Harrison and Chuma Edoga have rotated a lot at right tackle. Don’t sleep on Edoga being a starter.

JB: You hope so. This is a make-or-break season for Harrison. The former first-round selection has been underwhelming so far and this is a coaching staff who has no ties to him. Harrison needs to be more consistent. All the new bodies in the offensive line room should force Harrison to take notice.

JSC: Defense is always ahead of the offense early. Keep in mind that they are still playing with groupings. It was a good day for the defense some great plays on the ball even some nice plays from Maason Smith who had an interception, but I really like what I have seen from the offense, so need to worry … yet.

JB: The defense has been very good. I’d even say it won all three days of minicamp overall. But take that observation conservatively. With no pads on, it’s difficult to get too pumped up about either side of the ball. But Anthony Campanile’s defense has looked sharp.

JSC: Honestly my money is on Tank Bigsby right now. I’d bet Travis Etienne plays a ton but if we are thinking handoffs from the backfield. I think Bigsby will lead the way. The guy who i still bet has a chance to earn a roll early is LeQuint Allen. I know he is a rookie seventh-round pick but don’t sleep on him.

JB: I’m going with Etienne as RB1, but Bigsby is breathing down his neck. Etienne provides a better all-around option than Bigsby, but he struggled last year. I do think he’s got more upside (and he’s in a contract year), so I think Etienne is still the No. 1 back.

JSC: I wouldn’t say in the driver’s seat, but he is in the car.

JB: He’s a seventh-round pick, so I don’t think he’s in lead spot to do much of anything other than to just make the roster. I think Allen’s pass catching ability makes him a candidate to get some reps but I don’t think he’s a lock as the third-down back right now.

JSC: Hunter has looked good. He is just such a quick and smooth athlete. I haven’t seen a ton of him at DB but the reps where you do, he just looks natural and seems to have a really good feel for the game. One of his teammates on defense mentioned that even with limited reps, he hasn’t seen Hunter out there lost or making mistakes. Hunter seems to have a really good grasp of what they need him to do on both sides of the ball.

JB: Like Jamal said, Hunter is smooth and effortless in just about anything you ask him to do. Heck, even jamming out to music over the speakers Hunter looks fluid and free flowing. He looks natural on both sides of the ball. His slender frame worries me but I think Hunter will add muscle over time. But he looks really, really good and his running routes look clean.

JSC: This season, my money is on Wyatt Milum, Allen and Ransaw. Think all three of them have a chance to play meaningful snaps this year and make an impact.

JB: Milum and Ransaw. I think Milum will be starting by midseason, maybe sooner. Ransaw may take a little longer to find the starting lineup, but I think he finds his way to get out on the field. I think he’ll follow a similar path like Jarrian Jones did last year and be starting by the end of the season.

JSC: I’d bet on Eli Pancol. He looks good. The last guy is tougher. I’m split between Chandler Brayboy, Dorian Singer, Cam Camper, and Trenton Irwin. All four of those guys have flashed at some point or another. Since it is the last spot and special teams value will be important I’ll go with Irwin.

JB: Pancol is a lock for me. I’ll go with Brayboy as the sixth. Those bottom of the roster guys have to contribute on special teams, and Brayboy was a special teams menace at Elon.

JSC: The timing has been off at times but it’s not something I’m worried about at this point.

JB: I think it’s just been early and not much to be worried about. Some camp days, the offense is just on. Others, it’s the defense. If the pads go on and there’s still some issues with Hunter and Trevor Lawrence being on the same page, then I’d be more concerned.

JSC: I really like what I have seen from Emmanuel Ogbah. I think he will have an impact this year. On the OL, not really about what you would expect so far. With no pads on, it is tough to get a real feel for the OL and where they are at. As far as the energy goes, I think that is noticeable to anyone who is paying attention. With staff changes, there is always going to be an energy shift but this is a big shift. It’s early and they still have a perfect record, but there is definitely a vibe or an energy of guys enjoying being at work and around these coaches. And to the coaches credit, it isn’t just because they are nice it’s because they are honest. Players know this staff will tell the the truth and coach them hard, but that is the only way guys can really get better.

JB: Difficult to say without the pads on, but the coaching staff likes their defensive linemen. If last year’s second-rounder Maason Smith continues to develop and Arik Armstead’s switch back inside channels his fountain of youth, this line will take a jump. No surprises on the OL just because the pads haven’t gone on yet. Jamal and I talked about this on the News4JAGs podcast, but yes, the energy of camp feels different. I know there’s a newness factor to things, but the vibe just feels far more loose than it has been. That’s a positive. After Doug Pederson was fired, players last year said they thought a younger coaching staff would be able to relate to today’s NFL player better. I really sense that this year. It feels and looks different.