JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton and team reporter Kainani Stevens offer quick thoughts on the Jaguars as they prepare to play the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium in a 2025 Week 1 game Sunday at 1 p.m.

John Oehser, Jaguars Senior Writer…

1. Trevor time. Trevor Lawrence stands unavoidably alone as a Week 1 Jaguars theme, with the fifth-year quarterback's development in his first season in Head Coach Liam Coen's scheme key to a new regime's first season. Lawrence throughout preseason and training camp showed improvement with the footwork and fundamentals needed to succeed in this scheme, and the thought here is an improved running game will allow Lawrence to run the offense efficiently and without needing to play "above the Xs and Os." Coen on Monday discussed being excited to see how Lawrence handled the "gray areas" – i.e., when plays break down and require quarterbacks to make decisions beyond the first read or called play. "That'll be really important for Trevor, especially Week 1, where you don't know what you're going to get," Coen said. "It will be very important for him to be able to live in that gray: 'Man, this isn't exactly what we were hunting up. How can we continue to find a completion and take care of the football?'" Those are the moments beyond play call, beyond coaching. They're the moments that often define quarterback's careers. How ready is Lawrence for the gray? Stay tuned.
2. The great unknown. Among Coen's recurring Week 1 themes is that you simply can't know many things about the NFL until the regular season. While Coen has said this when discussing the running game and offensive line, it's as true of a Jaguars defense that enters the '25 season as a critical storyline. Jaguars defensive players such as linebacker Foyesade Oluokun and cornerback Jourdan Lewis made clear this week they are confident about the unit, emphasizing improved communication and physicality. "I'm excited to see who we are, but I feel like we have identified ourselves as a physical football team and that's what we're going to hang our hats on," Lewis said, with Oluokun adding, "I think our communication has been really good because we know how important it is play in and play out to be on our Ps and Qs communications-wise. Maybe in years prior things were more put on everybody's shoulders individualistically. Hopefully that carries over to the season and we're all able to play faster because of it." The thought here is the Jaguars can improve defensively against the run enough to allow edge rushers such as Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen to consistently pressure quarterbacks – which should help dramatically improve their league-low nine takeaways from last season. Stay tuned here, too.

Brian Sexton, Senior Correspondent…

1. The offensive line looks better and hasn't played much together … Coen talked at length in August about what center Robert Hainsey would mean to the line, and how his presence in the middle would help create the style of play and performance he seeks. We got a small sample in the two preseason games the starters played – and their joint practice with Miami. The addition of Hainsey and Patrick Mekari to the starting lineup and having Chuma Edogawaiting in the wings to play all over the line-up has increased the level of competition, which pushed left tackle Walker Little, left guard Ezra Cleveland and right tackle Anton Harrison to fight to retain their jobs. I fully expect this team to be able to run when it wants to run, which is the most important measure of an effective running game, AND when it needs run in situations such as third and two -- which the Jaguars haven't been able to count on the last two seasons.
2. So does the defensive line. We know about Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen on the outside, but the addition of Dawuane Smoot and Emmanuel Ogbah gives the Jags two more guys who can chase the quarterback while Walker and Hines-Allen are on the sideline. More exciting is how the middle of the defense has improved with the return of Arik Armstead and Maason Smith, and the arrival of Khalen Saunders Sr.. Let's not forget that nose tackle DaVon Hamilton also had a strong summer. The Jaguars are deep, with veteran experience. Smith might be the best of the bunch if he takes the kind of step forward both Walker and Hines-Allen told me they were expecting of him. I don't know that the Jaguars are ready to go from the bottom of the NFL in defense to the top, but they're certainly capable of going from the bottom to the middle in defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile's first season on the job.

Kainani Stevens, Jaguars Team Reporter/Producer ...

1. Here we go. The new era of Jaguars football is set to begin Sunday at EverBank Stadium. We don't fully know what to expect, but optimism abounds after two consecutive disappointing seasons. I'm most looking forward to seeing if Coen's dynamic offense, which saw success in Tampa, can translate to success here in Duval. Coen found myriad ways to be productive against Carolina's defense last year in two matchups. The game plan largely focused on the run game as Bucky Irving ran for over 100 yards in each game. I expect to see running backs Travis Etienne Jr., Tank Bigsby and Bhayshul Tuten active on game day, but it remains to be seen how exactly they will split the carries.
2. Time to feast. Panthers starting left tackle Ikem Ikwonu did not participate in practice Wednesday and is considered day-to-day after undergoing an emergency appendectomy last week. Whether or not Ekwonu plays, this is a matchup to keep an eye on as Hines-Allen should benefit in the edge rush department. Hines-Allen is closely approaching the franchise record for sacks all-time, just two sacks behind Tony Brackens. After an eventful offseason personally for the Hines-Allen family, it's clear the captain is focused fully on football. I expect to see his presence felt immediately Week 1.