JACKSONVILLE – In the NFL, it is often about the more you can do.
Josh Cameron has learned that quickly.
Cameron, the Jaguars' rapidly ascending rookie wide receiver, caught his second touchdown in three weeks in the first half of a one-sided victory over the New England Patriots this past Sunday. Like many things early in his NFL been with Cameron, it was perhaps a sign of things to come.
"I am blessed to be in this position," Cameron said following Sunday's victory. "I am just going to continue to stack and make the most of my opportunities for sure."
Head Coach Liam Coen this week called Cameron "really in so many ways, what we're looking for in a Jacksonville Jaguar."
A sixth-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, Cameron was the No. 191 overall selection and the 29th receiver selected. He is one of four rookie receivers to catch a touchdown through the first three games and is tied for the rookie lead in touchdown receptions.
That is quite the rise for a Day 3 rookie, especially one drafted into a deep and talented wide receiver room in Jacksonville. Cameron has defied odds before and has no problem doing it again.
"Before the game, something that I just remind myself is my journey, what I've been through, always being overlooked," Cameron said. "I remember my mom used to try to do different recruiting services and this one recruiting service said, 'Your son can't play at the Power 5 level.'
"And I ended up doing that."
It isn't just as a receiver where Cameron is making plays. Any NFL player not an every-down starter must also establish themselves on special teams, which Cameron has done since first stepping onto the practice field this spring.
"That's him," Coen said. "That's the definition of who he is. He's the personal protector on punt. He catches a touchdown in the end zone on a critical down. Then he runs down on kickoff and makes the tackle. Then he gets a kickoff return out past the 50 on an explosive."
Just one play after Cameron's touchdown against the Patriots, he flew downfield on the kickoff coverage team to make the tackle on the return. He later returned a kickoff 42 yards, the Jaguars' longest kickoff return to date this season.
"A lot of prep goes into it throughout the week," Cameron said. "Big thing for me is getting into a routine, getting into a habit and trying to take some of those stressors off of myself. And once you get into that flow of doing the same thing over and over again, not a lot of new stuff can kind of throw you off your balance.
"That's just been my main thing, staying focused."
Cameron has quickly become a rookie the Jaguars can trust in moments both big and small, and he has not backed down from a single challenge yet. That is why he has defeated the odds before, and that is why he is well on his way to defeating them once more.
"The more you can do in this league, right?" Coen said. "And he's such an example of that, where he comes in, sixth-round pick, and he's got strong hands. He understands how to prepare. He's super smart and he's selfless. Everything that he does he does like a pro."
NOTABLE
The Jaguars' defense has been one of the NFL's best creating turnovers in the red zone this season, intercepting a pass each of the last three weeks as the opponent drove into scoring territory. Second-year wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter on Sunday intercepted Patriots quarterback Drake Maye on third-and-goal from the 2 just before halftime to secure a 14-3 halftime lead. "It's huge because you save points," cornerback Jourdan Lewis said. "You take all of the points off of the board. That's either a 10-point swing or a three-point swing, in either direction, or a six-point swing in either direction. When you look at it like that, that can change the momentum of any game. That's the margins in this league. When you take away red-zone opportunities from a good offense, that's been proven to go and be methodical and put drives together; it takes the wind out of their sails, and it helps everybody on the team."
