2 Jacksonville Jaguars' players named sophomore breakout candidates

9. Jaguars' RB Bhayshul Tuten

Tuten has the opportunity to step up in a big way with Etienne's departure.

"The Jacksonville Jaguars were content to let Travis Etienne leave in free agency, signing with the New Orleans Saints after rushing for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns last season," wrote Auman. "Part of that was a confidence in Bhayshul Tuten, a fourth-round pick from Virginia Tech who had 307 yards and five touchdowns in limited work as the top backup. Chris Rodriguez, signed from the Washington Commanders in free agency, will compete for carries, but has a chance to step into a much larger role in Liam Coen's prolific offense."

Yes, Tuten will naturally have the chance to make his mark on the NFL with Etienne being gone; it's assumed that he will end up as RB1, while Chris Rodriguez and LeQuint Allen factor in as well. But the Jaguars' draft strategy indicates that Coen is looking to bolster the run game in a big way.

In addition to drafting offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon, the Jaguars notoriously drafted two tight ends, with Coen specifically mentioning before the draft that they were looking for tight ends who were strong blockers. This is because boosting the run game is one of Jacksonville's top priorities this offseason, and Tuten will almost certainly benefit.

He already had a strong rookie season, racking up 83 carries for 307 yards with five touchdowns, and there is every reason to believe he will break out in a huge way in 2026. A 1,000-yard season is not out of the realm of possibility here at all.

1. Jaguars' CB/WR Travis Hunter

The most talked-about rookie from last year's draft class, Hunter's first season was incredibly promising, but was cut short by injury, and Auman expects big things from him in 2026, particularly on defense.

"Huner's on course to be fully recovered by the start of training camp, and it should be a simpler second season for him. It remains to be seen how much work he'll get on offense — the Jaguars traded for Jakobi Meyers during last season and gave him a lucrative extension, and they've held off on trading third-year receiver Brian Thomas Jr., with Parker Washington enjoying a breakout season last year. Hunter should be an every-down corner, and that side of the ball should be his focus and the best chance for him to shine. Jacksonville let Greg Newsome leave in free agency and didn't draft a corner, setting Hunter up for a central role."

It has been reported that Hunter's focus will be on defense more so than offense, though he is still expected to take snaps at wide receiver. For now, his exact role is not confirmed, but either way, he's expected to take most of his snaps at cornerback, where his presence is needed more, given the construction of the Jaguars' roster.

Hines-Allen is excited to have Hunter contributing more on defense, and it's because, while he is a good receiver, Hunter excels in particular as a cornerback. He has immense potential, and hopefully, 2026 will be the year he begins to achieve it.

This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars' Travis Hunter, Bhayshul Tuten named 2026 breakout candidates