Which Jaguars WR Should You Trust?

Jacksonville Jaguars 2026 Overview

Schedule

Wins

Play Calling

Key Additions

• RB Chris Rodriguez
• TE Nate Boerkircher
• TE Tanner Koziol

Notable Coaching Changes

• None

Trevor Lawrence

2025 Role & Results

The Tale of Two Seasons

Lawrence's 2025 split cleanly before and after the bye. He finished QB4 overall with 350.1 fantasy points across 17 games and averaged 20.6 points per game (QB6), but those totals hide just how rough the start was and how dominant the finish became.

Lawrence ranked just QB18 in points per game across seven contests before the bye despite sitting QB6 in expected points per game, so the opportunity was there but the production wasn't. He posted only two top-12 QB weeks in that span, with another three outside the top 20.

After the bye, a different player showed up. 

Over his final 10 games, Lawrence ranked QB1 in both actual and expected fantasy points per game. That included finishing as a top-7 QB in each of his last four games. 

Lawrence delivered nine top-12 finishes among those 10 outings, and his numbers improved sharply across categories:

WR Trade Helped Fuel Breakout

The midseason trade for Jakobi Meyers may have been a catalyst. He joined the team in Week 10, two weeks after the bye, and gave Lawrence the reliable underneath option the offense had been missing.

Meyers played just 43.5% of the snaps in his Jaguars debut, but that playing time leaped from Week 11 on, and Meyers pulled a team-high 23.5% target share.

Lawrence called Meyers a “reliable target for me over the middle of the field,” and it showed.

Play Volume Helped as Well

Jacksonville averaged 63.6 plays per game under Coen, the sixth-most in the league. Lawrence ranked sixth in pass attempts, fourth in red zone pass attempts, and fifth in throws into the end zone. The Jags’ 1,093 total plays were their second-most since Lawrence arrived in 2021. (Only 2024 found them running more, a season in which Lawrence missed seven games.)

The end-zone throws, in particular, helped fuel the QB’s fantasy scoring. Lawrence ranked third in expected passing TDs at 31.4 and finished with 28 actual scores (fifth). 

QB Delivers on the Ground as Well

Lawrence’s rushing added a scoring boost for him in 2025. The biggest change from previous seasons was his career high 9 rushing TDs. That was fueled by a large increase in red-zone carries, including a career high in carries inside the 5.

We can credit at least some of that to the effective offense of Coen and OC Grant Udinski, but we’ll see whether that level of opportunity near the end zone continues for Lawrence.

The QB also scrambled more frequently than any previous year (once every 15.4 dropbacks). It ended up with similar frequency and yardage to 2023, his most recent healthy season: 

It’s fair to expect 2026 to look similar in that area, especially with an unproven backfield, but the variance through his first five seasons is noteworthy.

Lawrence also ranked fourth among QBs in TDs on designed runs, but tied for eighth in designed rush attempts and ranked 12th in yardage from designed runs, per PFF. That might point to the new offense presenting more short-yardage opportunities. But, it might also signal some luck in Lawrence’s 2025 TD chances.

Only 10 players at any position ran for more TDs from inside the 5 than Lawrence, with Josh Allen the only QB in that range.

Accuracy Remains a Concern

The one consistent concern is accuracy. Lawrence ranked 32nd in completion percentage (60.8%) and 32nd in completion percentage over expected (-2.1%) among 42 QBs with 150+ attempts.

It didn’t help that the Jaguars pass catchers dropped a league-high 39 passes, but Lawrence also ranked just 29th among 45 qualifying QBs in adjusted completion rate, a PFF stat that factors in drops. 

Coen’s system showed a pass lean similar to his 2024 Bucs offense. Jacksonville had a 4.3% pass rate over expected (fourth) in 2025. Coen also threw more than expected for Tampa Bay in 2024 at 2.7% (eighth). Baker Mayfield ranked as QB3 in PPR points per game under Coen in 2024, and Lawrence QB6 this past season. 

Coen’s offenses have leaned into the pass even as far back as his two years coordinating at Kentucky with Will Levis and Devin Leary at QB.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

The WR Corps Returns 

The receiving corps that powered the second-half surge remains intact. Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, and Parker Washington give Lawrence the same weapons that helped him become the QB1 down the stretch. The team also returns TE Brenton Strange. 

Thomas disappointed in 2025, but his season split into two distinct halves similar to Lawrence. In his first eight games, Thomas caught just 50% of his targets (66th) at 13.5 yards per catch (25th) and 6.8 yards per target (55th). 

Over his final six games, those numbers improved to a 58.1% catch rate (29th), 15.9 YPC (ninth), and 9.3 yards per target (13th). But, his 14.9% target share over that period still ranked third behind Meyers and Washington. He remains a potential deep threat who had a WR1 season in 2024. The talent and ceiling remain high.

Meyers helped fuel Lawrence’s breakout after being traded to the Jaguars. He has three straight seasons finishing as a low-end WR2. 

Washington saw a late season break out himself. Over his final seven games including the playoffs, Washington averaged 5.0 catches, 86.3 yards, and 0.57 touchdowns per game. Extrapolated over a full season, that pace would have made him the PPR WR7.

Strange posted a 16.0% target share across his 11 full games, which ranked him just behind Jacksonville's top four WRs. His per-route efficiency was sturdy, ranking 11th among 49 TEs with 30+ targets in yards per route run at 1.70.

Continuity in both scheme and personnel should benefit Lawrence’s fantasy performance in 2026.

The RB Room Doesn't

The backfield situation did change though. Travis Etienne is gone, leaving Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. as the top options. Lawrence has not played on a team without Etienne since he was in high school in 2017 (though Etienne missed his entire rookie season in 2021 due to injury.

The new RB group is pretty unproven. Tuten handled just a 22.2% carry share (70th among RBs) as a rookie behind Etienne after Jacksonville traded Tank Bigsby. Rodriguez arrives familiar with Coen’s offense, having enjoyed his best college season the lone year he worked with Coen as his Kentucky OC (2021).

If the backs falter, Jacksonville could lean more heavily into the passing game and increase Lawrence’s volume. That would mean more passing situations and possibly more scrambles or designed runs near the goal line.

Coen's offense already passed more than expected in his first Jacksonville season and his lone campaign as Tampa Bay OC.

Top-5 Ceiling Makes Lawrence Attractive

Lawrence already showed us his ceiling climbs into the top 5 at the position. If he sustains the post-bye efficiency, maintains his rushing contribution, and operates in the same high-volume passing environment, Lawrence could dramatically outperform his low-QB1 level ADP.

The risk is just as clear. The pre-bye stretch revealed that Lawrence can go cold in a way that leaves him well short of his expected points. If his efficiency flags -- and/or the offense stumbles on whole -- Lawrence could just spend 2026 not making much of a difference for your fantasy team. 

Bhayshul Tuten

2025 Role & Results

Built for More Than 83 Carries

Tuten entered the league in 2025 as a fourth-round pick with eye-catching traits. His 4.32-second 40 time, 40.5-inch vertical, and 10’10 broad jump produced a 9.56 Relative Athletic Score. GM James Gladstone even mentioned Tuten in his interview for the job as a priority draft target if he became GM.

Tuten failed to impress with his rookie numbers, though. He finished with just 307 rushing yards on 83 carries with 5 TDs. He also only had 10 receptions for 79 yards across 15 games as the backup to Travis Etienne for most of the season.

Tuten handled a mere 22.2% of Jacksonville’s RB carries. Even after Tank Bigsby was traded, Etienne remained the clear lead back and Tuten never broke through to consistent work. 

That was at least more than fellow rookie LeQuint Allen (drafted in Round 7) who only had a 6.1% carry share. Allen did get more work in the receiving game, playing 224 passing snaps over the season vs. Tuten’s 120.

Tuten Showed Promise Despite Lacking Production

Judging his talent by those raw totals would be the wrong read, though. Tuten showcased some positive underlying metrics that show he can handle a bigger role. Among 55 running backs with 80-plus carries, he ranked 14th in yards after contact per attempt (3.0) and 11th in missed tackles forced per attempt (0.21). Both of those marks were better than Etienne's for 2025.

For a rookie playing behind a veteran starter, flashing those numbers on limited touches is exactly the kind of signal that suggests a bigger role could unlock real production.

He also suffered a broken finger in Week 15 causing him to miss two games, returning for Week 18 and the Jaguars’ playoff loss.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

Loss of Etienne Frees Carries

Tuten's 2026 opportunity looks nothing like his 2025 role. Etienne is gone, vacating his 69.5% RB carry share and clearing the path for Tuten to open as the main incumbent in one of the league's more pass-heavy offenses. Etienne’s 260 carries and 52 targets from last season will be opened up to move to RBs, with Tuten being the most likely candidate.

The RB receiving opens up as well.

Etienne’s 8.3% target share last year dwarfed Tuten’s 2.7% and Allen’s 2.0%. That target share is up for grabs, but Tuten will need to wrest pass snaps from Allen.

Chris Rodriguez Jr. also arrives a two-year, $10 million contract. Rodriguez had his best college season at Kentucky when Liam Coen served as OC in 2021. That gives him a familiarity with the scheme that could accelerate his role in the offense. 

Rodriguez is a bigger (224 pounds vs. Tuten’s 209), physical back who profiles as a goal-line and short-yardage option. He could siphon valuable TD opportunities from Tuten. 

Rodriguez Could Force a Committee

In 2025, Rodriguez posted a 0.70 rushing yards over expected per rush (13th among qualified backs) and averaged 3.46 yards after contact per attempt (eighth). Rodriguez’s 3.0 YAC per attempt over the last two seasons led all 69 RBs with 100+ attempts over that span. 

Rodriguez had surgery on his left foot earlier in the offseason and is expected to be ready by training camp. His return will be worth monitoring.

Allen could be a bigger pain to Tuten’s receiving aspirations than his 10 rookie-year catches suggest. The seventh-round pick caught 119 passes for his college career, the most among the 31 Combine RBs from 2025. 

Featured Back or Committee Casualty 

Tuten's ceiling sits somewhere close to Etienne's 2025 role as the featured back in Coen's high-volume offense. Etienne finished last year as RB14 in PPR points per game, and Tuten could approach that if he fends off Rodriguez and Allen for the leads in rushing, receiving, and goal-line work.

The floor is a crowded committee that never allows Tuten to seize consistent work or production. A healthy Rodriguez could split early-down work and goal-line touches (or lead that area, in particular). That outcome could push him into RB3 territory, or lower.

Chris Rodriguez

2025 Role & Results

Rodriguez was a healthy scratch for the first two weeks before earning starts in weeks 3 and 4 in a struggling Commanders backfield. After an uneven start, he closed strong with double-digit carries in six of his final seven games.

The raw numbers were modest given the limited opportunity: 112 carries for 500 yards and 6 TDs across 13 games, with just 3 receptions (on 4 targets) for 30 yards. He finished as RB51 in fantasy points per game (7.1). 

Rodriguez had no top-12 and just three top-24 fantasy finishes. He’s only had one top-12 finish in his three-year career on the Commanders.

But Rodriguez’s 2025 production was better than the raw numbers indicated. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry (17th among 51 RBs with 90+ carries) and 3.46 yards after contact per attempt, which ranked eighth in the league. 

Efficiency Doesn’t Look Like a Fluke

That after-contact number isn't a one-year blip either -- Rodriguez has led all RBs with 100-plus attempts in yards after contact per attempt over the last two seasons combined at 3.0. Rodriguez breaks tackles consistently, making him an effective short yardage back who can pick up more than expected.

His 0.70 rushing yards over expected per attempt ranked 13th among qualified RBs. Those numbers tell you he's consistently doing more with his carries than the blocking would predict.

Even with that efficiency, Rodriguez never earned a strong share of the workload. His 34.2% carry share ranked 48th in a weak Commanders RB room alongside seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt and receiving back Jeremy McNichols.

Another major concern is that his receiving profile is thin. He has only had six total catches in his NFL career. Even the 2021 season he spent with Liam Coen as his OC at Kentucky found Rodriguez catching just 13 balls. He totaled 20 receptions for his five-year college run.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

Jacksonville signed Rodriguez to a two-year, $10 million contract this offseason and dropped him into an open backfield after Travis Etienne's exit. He will compete with second-year RBs Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen, both Day 3 picks from last year.

The Coen connection helps Rodriguez's case. That 2021 campaign produced Rodriguez’s biggest college numbers:

• 225 carries
• 1,379 yards
• 9 TDs
• 6.1 yards per carry
• 13 receptions
• 61 yards
• 3 TDs

That familiarity with Coen could give Rodriguez a head start in both installation and trust, helping him get on the field early.

Rodriguez Must Overcome These Challenges

There is an early speed bump, though. Rodriguez had surgery on his left foot earlier this offseason. He is expected back by training camp, but we’ll have to monitor that return and how reps get split among Jacksonville RBs in camp.

Tuten's athletic profile still makes him the favorite to lead this backfield in carries. His 4.32-second 40 time, 40.5-inch vertical, and 10’10 broad jump produced a 9.56 Relative Athletic Score entering the NFL, and he backed that up last season by ranking 14th in yards after contact per attempt (3.0).

Tuten has the talent to be the lead back with Rodriguez handling short yardage duties.

Light Receiving Limits Ceiling; Crowd Lowers Floor

Rodriguez’s best outcome -- barring injury to Tuten -- would find him leading carries in a committee backfield for a high-powered Jacksonville offense that scored the sixth-most TDs in the NFL last season (29).

That type of role and the TD potential could make Rodriguez an attractive non-PPR play and decent half-PPR option. His pro and college records, though, tell us we shouldn’t expect much on the receiving front.

That’ll make it tough for Rodriguez to be startable in PPR formats, outside of the deepest fantasy leagues.

If Rodriguez splits early-down work with Tuten or trails him in that area, then he’d remain bench fodder for fantasy leagues and difficult to like outside of best ball formats.

Brian Thomas Jr.

2025 Role & Results

Fall From Rookie Year Highs

Thomas' 2025 season looked nothing like his promising rookie year. After finishing WR7 at 15.8 points per game in 2024, he fell to WR42 with just 9.9 points per game across 14 contests in 2025. Nearly every key metric went backward.

The target share drop from 24.4% to 18.6% coincided with the arrival of Jakobi Meyers and the emergence of Parker Washington, both of whom cut into Thomas's role. 

In his first eight games, Thomas caught just 50% of his targets (66th) at 13.5 yards per catch (25th) and 6.8 yards per target (55th). His 20.9% target share over that period led the team (before Meyers arrived).  

Over his final six games, with the entire offense hitting its stride post-bye, those numbers improved to a 58.1% catch rate (29th), 15.9 YPC (ninth), and 9.3 yards per target (13th). But, his 14.9% target share over that period still ranked third behind Meyers and Washington. The late-season uptick coincided with Lawrence's (QB1 over that period) post-bye surge and the offense finding its rhythm, which offers some reason for optimism heading into 2026.

Just as telling was the gap between his 11.7 expected PPR points per game and his 9.9 actual. Jakobi Meyers fell slight short at 11.0 fantasy points per game vs. 11.4 Expected, but that certainly wasn’t the gap that Thomas had. Parker Washington actually exceeded his expected fantasy points per game scoring 11.5 vs. 11.2 expected.

The Deep Role Made Him Volatile

Part of what changed was how the offense used him. Thomas shifted toward more of a pure deep threat in 2025, with his aDOT climbing from 11.4 yards (33rd among 84 WRs with 50+ targets) in 2024 to 14.5 yards (fourth among 76 WRs) in 2025. 

Thomas drew 34.6% of Jacksonville’s air yards, 11th-highest in the league. That means the opportunity volume was there, but his 54.5% catch rate (67th) and 52nd-ranked PFF receiving grade show he wasn't converting those opportunities consistently. A deep threat who doesn't catch the ball is more of a decoy than a weapon.

Fell Behind Washington and Meyers

When comparing Thomas to the rest of Jacksonville's receiving group, the gap in production metrics is clear:

Thomas ranked last or near last in every efficiency category among the group. Washington and Meyers were clearly ahead of him in 2025, and Hunter's presence as a two-way player adds yet another target competitor to the mix if the team keeps him on offense at times.

Brenton Strange also continues to be a target with his 15.0% target share for the season being in line with the WR group.

Injuries likely played some role in the downturn. Thomas played through a Week 2 wrist injury and a Week 7 shoulder injury, then missed three games after a Week 9 ankle sprain. 

Thomas saw a drop in his fantasy scoring after the ankle injury. From Weeks 1-9, he scored 10.7 PPR fantasy points per game. That dropped to 8.9 from Weeks 13-18 after returning from the injury. The ankle injury also coincided with the arrival of Meyers as well as Washington’s emergence, putting a further damper on Thomas’ opportunity. 

2026 Opportunity & Projection

Meyers, Washington, Hunter. Still Here.

The target competition isn't going anywhere. Meyers, Washington, Hunter, and Brenton Strange all return. 

One positive is that HC Liam Coen's offense leaned to the pass with a 4.3% pass rate (Fourth) over expected last season. That was even higher than the +2.7% he generated in Tampa Bay in 2024. They ranked 14th in the league with 563 pass attempts. The passing environment should remain strong with lead RB Travis Etienne going to the Saints in free agency.

The remaining backfield -- featuring Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, and LeQuint Allen -- doesn’t look like a group the offense plans to lean on any more heavily.

Thomas’ Full Recovery Could Help Hit His Ceiling

The ceiling is a return to 2024, where Thomas's athleticism commanded a 24.4% target share and he finished as WR7 in points per game. Thomas has commented that he is fully recovered from his injuries and ready to be the “best that I can be.” 

His late-season numbers hint that the 2024 version isn't gone entirely (and may have even been hidden due to playing through injuries). 

Thomas faces tougher target competition than he did as a rookie, so a return to the fantasy top 10 probably isn’t coming. But he’s capable of leading this team in targets and climbing into WR2 territory.

Risk for Another 2025

The floor is a repeat of early 2025. If Thomas settles in as the team's third WR and remains mostly a deep threat, he could struggle to deliver even WR3 numbers on a consistent basis. 

We rank him at WR41, well below his WR31 ADP. But Thomas sits in a large tier of our WR rankings that stretches from No. 28 to No. 42. So his upside’s worth considering on draft day, even if he’s relatively overvalued vs. our ranking.

Jakobi Meyers

2025 Role & Results

Trade Fueled Production

Meyers' 2025 season needs to be split in two. The full-year line, WR32 overall with 175.8 PPR points across 16 games and 11.0 points per game (WR39 in FPTS/G), looks solid but unspectacular. He averaged 9.7 PPR points per game (61st among 112 WRs with 25+ targets) from Weeks 1-9 on the Raiders. The move to Jacksonville is what really changed his fantasy value.

From Week 11 on (Meyers played just 43.5% of snaps in his Week 10 Jags debut), the veteran led Jacksonville with a 23.5% target share scoring 12.7 PPR points per game (24th). He finished WR11 in expected points per game over that stretch.  

Meyers Moved Out of the Slot

That production came despite a major role shift. Meyers went from a 61.9% slot rate with the Raiders to just 24.8% after the trade to Jacksonville, and he still produced.

Meyers has proven effective out wide. He played 71.8% of snaps out wide in 2023 and 65.8% in 2024, both under HC Antonio Pierce on the Raiders. That was a change from Meyers’ four years on the Patriots where he never topped 40% out wide. 

His target share history shows that 23.5% mark fell in line with what Meyers had commanded previously:

When Meyers is operating as a featured receiver with a defined role, he consistently commands a target share in the low-to-mid 20s. That's not a fluke, it's a pattern that held up even when changing teams. That relative low point in 2023 came in the lone full season Meyers shared with Davante Adams.

Short Routes, Reliable Points

Meyers fits PPR because he works in short and intermediate areas, where the targets are easier to complete. His 9.4-yard aDOT in 2025 ranked 57th among 76 WRs with 50+ targets, shorter than Brian Thomas' 14.5 (fourth) and Parker Washington's 13.1 (21st).

That was the lowest aDOT of Meyers’ career. His next lowest seasons were 9.8 in 2021 and 2023. But, it remains fairly in line with his career. Meyers has never topped a 10.8 aDOt in any single season.

His 1.71 YPRR with Jacksonville ranked ahead of Thomas's 1.50 for the full season, but fell short of Washington’s 2.06.

Comparing the key production metrics across Jacksonville's receiving group highlights where Meyers sits:

Meyers ranked second in every meaningful efficiency category. He beat Thomas in YPRR, TPRR, PFF grade, and ESPN score.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

New Contract Shows Commitment

No Jaguar drew more targets than Meyers after he arrived in Week 10. Jacksonville affirmed its commitment in December with a three-year $60 million extension that included $30 million in guarantees. The $20 million annual average ranks 25th among all WRs.

Meyers will be operating in the same offense under the same head coach and coordinator, and he gets a full offseason to build on the chemistry he established with Lawrence after the trade. 

Competition Remains Strong

The competition looks the same as well. Thomas, Washington, and Brenton Strange all remain. Hunter does as well, but he’s expected to significantly increase his defensive role, which figures to limit his offensive snap count at least a bit.

Meyers still feels fairly insulated because his job as Lawrence's primary underneath option is so clearly defined. He commonly stayed on the field in two-WR sets, and his 9.7-yard aDOT sat more than 2 yards shorter than those of Thomas (14.8) and Washington (13.1). That all gives Meyers an easier catch profile and a higher floor than his teammates.

Coen's offense is also a natural fit for a WR to earn targets. His system generated a 4.3% pass rate over expected in 2025. Plus, RB Travis Etienne’s departure in free agency leaves uncertainty in the backfield. That could increase the lean on the passing game.

Consistency Makes Him a Value

Meyers has posted four straight finishes as WR30 or higher and three straight as a low-end WR2 in PPR fantasy points per game:

• 2019: WR118 
• 2020: WR57
• 2021: WR40
• 2022: WR30
• 2023: WR24
• 2024: WR23
• 2025: WR24 (over nine games with Jaguars)

These also came with less than stellar QBs: Mac Jones, Aidan O’Connell, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Gardner Minshew (before he joined the Jaguars).

So we know Meyers is capable of reaching WR2 territory in fantasy production, and the playing time and contract he got from Jacksonville in 2025 seem to present little risk of him falling through WR3 range.

Meyers won’t ever be an exciting fantasy option, but he’s a steady producer unlikely to let you down.

Parker Washington

2025 Role & Results

This Jump Was Too Big to Ignore

Washington's career trajectory is one of the more dramatic at the position in recent memory. He broke out in 2025 after finishing WR98 in 2023 and WR91 in 2024 in PPR points per game. He finished 2025 as WR27 overall with 184.7 PPR points across 16 games and averaging 11.5 points per game (WR35). 

The true breakout followed Travis Hunter's LCL tear in Week 7. Washington averaged 14.9 PPR points per game from Week 8 on, ranking 16th among WRs over that period. 

Elite Efficiency Shows Upside

Washington's yards per route run jumped from 1.02 in 2024 (78th among 83 WRs with 50+ targets) to 2.06 in 2025 (17th among 76 WRs).

A 13.1-yard average depth of target helped, climbing for the second straight season (from 7.9 and 11.7 the previous two years. That aDOT means Washington was winning on more intermediate and deep routes than you’d typically expect from a player who leads his team in slot snaps.

Washington also beat his teammates in multiple metrics.

From Jakobi Meyers’ Week 10 arrival on, Washington’s 20.5% target share trailed only Meyers (narrowly):

Slot Rate Went Up When Hunter Went Down

Although Washington led Jacksonville in slot snaps last year, he has actually seen his slot share decrease vs. the start of his career.

Washington spent 75.8% of his pass snaps in the slot as a 2023 rookie, vs. just 24.2% out wide. That split changed to 39.0% and 60.7% respectively in 2024, and he started in the same direction last year before Hunter’s injury.

Washington played just 37.1% of his snaps in the slot through Week 7. That climbed to 57.9% after the bye; 61.1% in post-bye games he shared with Brian Thomas Jr.

That breakdown matters for projecting who’ll stay on the field most in two-WR sets going forward. Indeed, Washington trailed Meyers and Thomas in route share after Meyers’ arrival last season. That playing-time distribution could change in 2026, especially after the way Washington played last season. 

Over his final seven games including the playoffs, Washington averaged 5.0 catches, 86.3 yards, and 0.57 touchdowns per game. Extrapolated over a full season, that pace would have made him the PPR WR7. 

2026 Opportunity & Projection

Washington Already Looks Ready for More

Washington’s 2026 outlook will likely be tied to Hunter’s. The two-way rookie’s knee injury gave way to the Washington breakout, after all, and this year seems to be heading Washington’s way as well.

Multiple reports have Jacksonville planning to run Hunter more on defense in his second season, and OC Grant Udinski has called Washington capable of building on the success of late last season.

“I think really, really highly of Parker,” Udinski said in late May. “We think that he is capable of what he did at the end of the season last year and even more than that.”

Same Room, Better Case

The rest of the competition picture is unchanged with Thomas, Meyers, and Brenton Strange all returning. Washington showed last year that he can perform despite the crowded pass-catching group. 

Coen's offense is also a natural fit for a WR to earn targets. His system generated a 4.3% pass rate over expected in 2025. RB Travis Etienne’s departure in free agency leaves an unproven backfield that could increase the passing lean.

The key number heading into 2026 is route participation. Washington's per-route efficiency was top notch, ranking 17th in YPRR among 76 WRs with 50+ targets.

The Big Question: Will He Play More

Washington clearly got on the field enough to generate surprising fantasy production over the second half last season. But here’s how Jacksonville’s top three wideouts aligned in route share from Week 13 on, after Thomas returned from a three-week ankle sprain:

• Meyers 91.0%
• Thomas 78.0%
• Washington 67.4%

That came with Thomas playing less than he did to open the season. It also found Hunter not playing at all thanks to the knee injury. Even if the second-year, two-way player sees limited offensive time this season, his chances could come primarily at Washington’s expense if they remain slot leaders.

Washington has showed he can also play outside, but he’d need to push Thomas or Meyers off the field to counter the Hunter impact or to stay on the field in two-WR sets.

That’s another potential challenge for 2026. Jacksonville drafted a pair of TEs to join Brenton Strange. Udinski said as the team selected Nate Boerkircher in Round 2 that the new TE “is changing the offense.” Coen has since said that he “likes 12” (formation with two TEs) but also that “we still have some pretty damn good wideouts I like to use.”

The takeaway? These Jaguars feature more potential scheme flexibility, and we’ll probably have to wait to see exactly how that plays out in season.

Washington Could Define Your Season … or Let You Down

As you read above, Washington closed out last season with a stretch of production that could have him flirting with WR1 territory if he carries it over into 2026. It’s not hard to make the case for that upside from a WR3-level ADP, especially when his coordinator is talking him up.

But Jacksonville also presents a crowded group of pass catchers that might limit alignments of 3+ WRs as well as Washington’s snaps in 2-WR situations.

If he regresses from the scoring efficiency of late 2025 and sees a decline in opportunities, then Washington could settle into a quiet WR4-type fantasy season.

The range of potential outcomes keeps him from being a “must” target at ADP, but the cost presents more upside than risk.

Brenton Strange

2025 Role & Results

Strange Improves as a Starter

Strange took a meaningful step forward in 2025, finishing TE23 overall with 118 PPR points across 12 games and averaging 9.8 points per game (TE18). That's a significant improvement over his 2024 line of 5.4 points per game (TE36), and it came in his first season as a true starter.

The underlying opportunity metrics reflect his role as a complementary piece rather than a featured target. Strange posted a 16.0% target share across his 11 full games, which ranked him behind Jacksonville's top four WRs. 

The Jaguars directed just 19.4% of their total targets to TEs as a position, 23rd in the league.

Produced When He Ran Routes

His per-route efficiency was genuinely strong. Strange ranked 11th among 49 TEs with 30+ targets in yards per route run at 1.70. That shows he was targeted at a solid rate and effective when targeted. 

But, his 87.6% route rate on pass plays ranked 26th among those TEs. Strange stayed in to block more than the high-end receiving TEs, which limited his production.

His 7.0-yard aDOT (16th among tight ends) profiles him as a short-to-intermediate target. Strange ranked 12th with 5.6 yards after the catch per reception. That profile fits well in a Jaguars offense that features WRs capable of working deeper.

Meyers' midseason arrival did not hurt Strange's usage. Strange carried a 14.2% target share before the trade and actually ticked up to 15.6% after Meyers joined the team.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

Heavy Target Competition

The receiving competition ahead of him is significant. Thomas, Meyers, Washington, and Hunter could all command targets before Strange sees the ball.

Strange sat third in target share before the bye week with Jakobi Meyers still on the Raiders and Washington not receiving much playing time yet:

That shifted after the bye with Meyers and Washington passing Strange. Strange sat third in target share after the bye with Hunter on IR and Brian Thomas Jr. missing three games with an injury:

That could mean he's operating as the No. 4 or No. 5 option in the passing game with the full group at full strength. Strange could pass Hunter if he plays more defense, but Meyers, Washington, and a healthy Thomas likely sit ahead of Strange. Even so, that can still produce usable fantasy numbers in a high-volume offense like Jacksonville, especially with more end zone targets. 

Another threat to Strange's 2026 role comes from inside the room. Jacksonville drafted TE Nate Boerkircher in the second round and TE Tanner Koziol in the fifth, ahead of the final year on Strange’s contract. 

That could signal a plan to use more “12” personnel (two TEs). Jacksonville ran such alignments on 18.48% of plays last year, 21st in the league. Coen commented this offseason that he “likes 12,” but also that the team has “damn good wideouts.”

He appears ready to be flexible and use more TEs if that proves more successful. If Boerkircher or Koziol show enough and get on the field, Strange could cede targets.

TDs Can Fuel TE2 Finish

Strange could climb to high-TE2 territory if these Jaguars lean into passing volume. He beat Thomas in target share late last season, so the loaded WR corps doesn’t necessarily bury the No. 1 TE.

Of course, Strange will also need to hold off the new competitors at his position. But Jacksonville playing more multiple-TE sets could actually help him on that front. Any formation that runs two or three TEs would likely do so at the expense of extra WRs. And Strange should be considered the team’s top pass-catching TE until/unless one of the new guys proves otherwise.

On the other hand, that crowd could easily leave him in the bottom of TE2 territory … or worse.

Jaguars decision makers showed genuine excitement at drafting Boerkircher in Round 2. If he takes the field at Strange’s expense to any degree as a rookie, the incumbent will obviously face an even tougher path to fantasy relevance.

Worrying about Koziol seems premature, after he arrived as a mere fifth-round pick. But he has generated some early buzz after a high-volume receiving career in college. Koziol looms as another potential thorn.