3 Things That Will Really Matter When Jaguars Practice vs. Buccaneers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars will hold their final two practices of training camp on Tuesday and Wednesday, and they will have some guests.

After visiting the New Orleans Saints for a joint practice two weeks ago and hosting the Carolina Panthers last week, the Jaguars are set to play host yet again this week with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So, what will we be watching the closest when the Jaguars and Buccaneers clash on the practice field? We break it down below.

Emmanuel Pregnon vs. Todd Bowles

Jacksonville Jaguars Offensive Lineman Emmanuel Pregnon (75) runs a drill with during the Jacksonville Jaguars 14th session of NFL Training Camp at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla., Monday, August 17, 2026. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Emmanuel Pregnon has kicked off a second week in a row with the Jaguars' first team at left guard, and this week's slate of practices against a talented Buccaneers front could tell us just how ready he is to be a rookie starter. As Jaguars head coach Liam Coen noted on Sunday, Pregnon and the Jaguars will be facing a much different scheme this week than the previous two joint practices, which will give us another data point for Pregnon's case to be a starter.

“I think this will be a good test. I think this will be a nice test this week. Todd [Bowles] and their defense, they throw a lot of different looks at you," Coen said.

"Last week in Carolina and in New Orleans was a little bit more of a similar defense to each other. Less pressure, stunts, twists, movement so that was great to get him kind of going. Now, this is going to be a little bit of a test in terms of being able to, handle all that: the communication, the moving parts, the picks, the stunts, the twists, the pressures. I think this will be a great op for us to be able to really work with him and work through this week and hopefully he continues to ascend.”

If Pregnon can impress this week like he did a week ago, he could very well wrap up the starting left guard spot for Week 1 vs. the Cleveland Browns. That is quite the climb for a rookie third-round pick, but he has done nothing but earn it.

Travis Hunter's Day

nf; — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) runs a route during a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers on the 16th session of NFL training camp at the Miller Electric Center on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars' secondary was a big area of focus this offseason, and there is good reason the Jaguars have seen Travis Hunter spend the vast majority of his reps over the last week at cornerback. Hunter practiced more defense than offense over the first dozen or so Jaguars training camp practices, but not by the gap that he has in recent practices. He did not spend a single 11-on-11 rep on offense on Sunday for example, and spent most of the joint practice with the Panthers on defense.

Hunter has had some wow-level reps at cornerback this summer, and he seemed to match up well with Tetairoa McMillan a week ago. If he can put together another productive outing against a talented Buccaneers unit, then all arrows will be pointing upward as the Jaguars prepare for him to be their top cornerback in Week 1.

The Trenches

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) walks off the field after Day 15 of NFL training camp at the Miller Electric Center on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said he is excited to see Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen matchup with Buccaneers offensive tackles Tristan Wirds and Luke Goedeke, and he isn't alone. Hines-Allen, Travon Walker and Arik Armstead seemingly dominated last week's joint practice with the Panthers, but the Buccaneers' offensive line is a different animal entirely.

The Panthers might have a bottom-five offensive line in football, and they have the type of unit that the Jaguars' star-studded defensive line should find success against. The Buccaneers are in a different tier altogether, however, and they should provide a good test for just how good the Jaguars' pass-rush is.

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