Jaguars 2025 'Weekly Awards' Predictions

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Welcome to Weekly Awards!

To shine a light on individual performances, this column will break down the Jacksonville Jaguars’ top players in various categories after every game.

Here are our predictions for who will finish with the most Weekly Awards in 2025.

Most Valuable Player of 2025

Prediction: QB Trevor Lawrence

The first act of Lawrence's career isn't what was promised.

Since he became the first overall pick in 2021, he ranks bottom-10 in yards per attempt (6.8), touchdown rate (3.4%), and passer rating (85.0) among 40 passers with 20+ starts. He has a 22-38 career record and one postseason win.

Lawrence's ambition as a passer is a double-edged sword. He can hit every blade of glass and knows it – but there's too many attempts that have no business of being completed. It's led to some great highlights, albeit just as many lowlights.

It's easy to forgive Lawrence for trying to put the team on his back considering, well, the team around him. Jacksonville's former regime didn't surround their quarterback with enough surrounding talent, especially on the perimeter.

Of the 14 players that Lawrence has targeted most in his career, only Travis Etienne and Brian Thomas Jr. remain on the current roster.

Still, the turnovers must go down. Lawrence has the third-most fumbles and the fourth-most interceptions since he entered the league.

According to PFF, Lawrence's turnover-worthy play (TWP) rate has never dipped below 3% in a season. Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Justin Herbert have one such season since 2021.

An aggressive play style can get you into trouble, and Lawrence gets in bunches.

The Jaguars signed him to a contract extension with $200 million guaranteed anyway.

Because when it clicks, it clicks.

We saw one span of Lawrence playing in a flow state, when Doug Pederson's game plans emphasized quicker throws in the second half of the 2022 season. Then defenses starting playing closer to the line of scrimmage. Pederson and his staff didn't have an answer, despite acquiring multiple receivers to help stretch the field over the next two offseasons.

Theoretically, better playcalling from Liam Coen and added playmaking from Travis Hunter will let Lawrence play loose again.

"I really like the [new system]," Lawrence said during OTAs. "You have to know your stuff, but it gives you all the answers. You don’t feel like you are stuck in a play that’s not set up for success ... It is definitely unlike any system that I have learned before."

Based on his career to date, nobody should have the same expectations for Lawrence that many had for him as a college prospect. He'll likely never reach the same tier as recent MVP quarterbacks like Mahomes or Jackson or Allen.

It's one thing to be the most valuable player in the league, but being the most valuable player on his team is a feasible ask. If Lawrence can just learn to win with the team around him, rather than in spite of it, it'd go a long way.

Offensive Player of 2025

Prediction: WR Brian Thomas Jr.

Forecasting Thomas to win OPOY, rather than MVP, mostly comes down to positional value.

Lawrence will need to make a leap to prove our prediction right, though. Thomas is already among the best players at his position after finishing third in NFL receiving yards as a rookie.

Check out our recent feature – Brian Thomas Jr. hasn't even begun to peak – for a deep dive on how Coen's offense could fully unlock his game.

Defensive Player of 2025

Prediction: DE Josh Hines-Allen

The seventh overall pick in 2019, Hines-Allen has blossomed from a Calais Campbell understudy to a decorated quarterback hunter. The two-time Pro Bowler is the face of the Jaguars' defense in its post-Sacksonville era.

Ever since winning SEC Defensive Player of the Year in his final season at Kentucky, Hines-Allen has defeated opposing linemen with effort and technique. He never stops his feet and is always active with his hands, which lends itself to consistent block-shedding and playmaking.

As he's added more moves to his repertoire – including a devastating cross-chop (see below) – Hines-Allen has become one of the league's most effective pass rushers. He is one of four players to record 25-plus sacks and 150-plus pressures over the past two seasons, joining Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, and Trey Hendrickson (per PFF).

Hines-Allen deploys nuanced pass rush plans against his opponents. His ability to win in multiple different ways makes life hell for offensive tackles.

In Week 10 last season, Hines-Allen dominated against former teammate Cam Robinson. The Vikings changed their game plan to have other players chip him by the second quarter.

"He's a game-wrecker," Evan Engram told NFL Films, "in the pass game and the run game."

Indeed, Hines-Allen is also a force against the run. His 63 career tackles for loss is the 12th-most among all NFL players since he entered the league, and the most in team history.

Hines-Allen broke the Jaguars' single-season sack record in 2023 and is now just 2.5 sacks away from breaking the all-time record.

"I think all pass rushers should strive for that goal like every team strives to win a Super Bowl," he told ESPN. "So, I think my goal is to break the record and not really focus on it. Just know that if I handle what I need to handle, stay healthy, know what I'm doing, communicate, anticipate what's happening to me, anticipate pass and kind of be quicker on that, then everything's going to play off the way it's supposed to."

Hines-Allen is still in the prime of his career as a recently-turned 28-year-old. Added stability around him, particularly in the secondary, could propel him to being recognized as one of the best edge defenders of his generation.

It'd take a major breakout from another Jaguar to unseat him as the team's top defender.

Rookie of 2025

Prediction: WR/CB Travis Hunter

Jacksonville traded two first-round picks and change to move up in the 2025 NFL Draft for Hunter. It's rare for a non-quarterback to fetch such a haul.

Then again, Hunter is a rare player.

"Count however many drafts you want to," general manager James Gladstone said, "There are players who have the capacity to alter a game. There are players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of a team. There are very few players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of the sport itself. Travis, while he has a lot to still earn, in our eyes, has the potential to do just that."

Hunter became the first player in college football history to win both the Chuck Bednarik and Fred Biletnikoff Awards (given to the nation's top defender and receiver, respectively). He also won the 2024 Heisman Trophy, and he already has his No. 12 jersey retired at Colorado.

"I'm not going to say I'm the groundbreaker because there's a lot of people before me that have done it," Hunter said of his two-way ability. "I just did it to a certain extent that nobody else did it.”

A first-rate profile of conditioning, work ethic, athleticism, and ball skills led Hunter to becoming one of the most decorated players in college sports history.

As a receiver, Hunter compensates for unpolished footwork with outrageous change of direction ability and sharp focus on contested targets.

As a cornerback, he makes up for good-not-great speed with instincts, length, and burst to cover an impossible amount of ground.

The Jaguars believe Hunter can continue to impact both sides of the ball as a pro. Considering his unique stamina – he led all FBS players with over 1,000 snaps in both 2023 and 2024, playing for a school in thin mountain air – there's no real evidence to suggest he can't do it.

Greg Sholars is the Director of Operations at Athletic Performance Ranch, where Hunter trains. "Other than some of the great Kenyan distance runners or Olympic-level middle distance runners that I've had a chance to be around," he said, "I'd never seen anything like it. The kid could just run all day."

Of course, it takes more than conditioning to succeed at two different positions in the NFL, let alone one. Jacksonville acclimated Hunter by having him play on only one side of the ball during practices rather than switching between cornerback and receiver in the same day as he did at Colorado.

“It's probably harder logistically for us as coaches to navigate it and make sure that we're making use of all his time," Coen said at training camp. "I think it doesn't bother him as much. He's pretty unfazed by some of this stuff. ... He's been great in terms of his attitude and just kind of the way he approaches it.”

By the start of the preseason, Hunter was playing on offense and defense each day.

So long as he stays upright, it's hard to imagine his playmaking ability not translating on at least one side of the ball. This award is his to lose.

Comeback Player of 2025

Prediction: RB Travis Etienne

After a Lisfranc injury cost him his full rookie season, Etienne gained more yards from scrimmage than all but six NFL players (!) from 2022-23. He posted consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons and looked like a future Pro Bowler in the process. 

Despite his success, Etienne was relegated to a part-time role as the lightning to Tank Bigsby’s thunder last year as Jacksonville searched for a more diverse and consistent run game.

Jaguars coaches previously maximized Etienne’s open-field explosiveness by getting him the ball on the perimeter. In 2022 and 2023, he ranked top-six in attempts, yards and missed tackles forced on outside D-gap carries (per Fantasy Points data). He failed to crack the top-25 in any of those stats last year. 

Furthermore, Etienne ranked top-10 in catches and yards on screen passes in 2022 and 2023. He failed to crack the top-30 in either of those stats last year. 

With Jacksonville’s hiring of Coen, the ACC’s all-time rushing leader figures to see a workload more reminiscent of his second and third NFL seasons.

In 2024, the only players with more rushing yards on outside D-gap carries than Tampa Bay's Bucky Irving were Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson, and Jahmyr Gibbs. Bucs backups Rachaad White and Sean Tucker ranked top 35 as well.

In the passing game, Irving and White each ranked top-five among running backs in designed targets, and Coen had three different players (including those two) rank top-12 in screen targets per game. 

“Everyday, everything we have asked him to do, he has done at a good click for us,” Coen said. “The ability in the screen game, to hand him jet sweeps, his vision so far in the run game's been good … he can shine in ways in space.”

"He's been getting me a lot in space," Etienne reiterated to ESPN. "I love me one-on-one with anybody, and just being able to make that first man miss and being able to get the extra yards. I feel like Liam has a great knack for getting the players the ball.”

Few NFL players are as devastating in the open field as the former first-round pick. It’s easy to foresee a bounce-back campaign from Etienne under one of the league’s top schemers in Coen. 

Hustle Player of 2025

Prediction: TE Brenton Strange

Strange, a third-round pick in 2023, is a dawg. He plays through the whistle with infectious energy. If you watch his game closely, you'll soon be scouring your favorite search engine for 'brick walls near me.'

“Anytime that I step on the field," he said, "I take everything personal. It sounds a little corny to say that, but I take everything personal. I want to win every single thing I do, whether that's catching the balls or whether that's in the run game, whether that's in the pass game, I want to impose my will and I want to show everybody. And prove it to myself, most importantly, that no matter where you put me, no matter what you ask me to do, I can get it done and I can win.”

Toughness may be his calling card, but Strange is far more than a rah-rah guy.

As mentioned above, Jaguars coaches aimed to diversify the run game last year. Strange was a big part of that; his blocking assignments is a very lengthy list.

Both competitiveness and versatility are demonstrated in the 2024 montage below.

Strange's blocking ability opens up various wrinkles in the run game, and his willpower shows up in the pass game, too.

Strange's on-field impact may not be fully reflected by traditional stats, but it is felt by his teammates and opposition alike.

"I love Brenton, man," Lawrence said. "I’ve always loved how he plays. He plays really hard, he’s a really good blocker, and then what he can do in space, too. He doesn’t get enough credit for how good of a route runner he is. Very physical, great after the catch. So, he’s going to be a problem for us.”

Trench Player of 2025

Prediction: DT DaVon Hamilton

Hamilton's career went as well as it could have through three seasons. His run-stop rate grew from 5.0% to 7.2% to 9.9% (per PFF) as his total tackle numbers grew from 30 to 46 to 56. He ranked top-20 among all interior linemen in those categories in 2022.

"D-Ham" inked a three-year extension with the Jaguars, but a few months later during the 2023 preseason, he developed a spinal abscess (a major back infection). He missed the first seven games of the season and finished with 12 tackles.

Fortunately, Hamilton made a full recovery, and he bounced back for a career-best season in 2024. He quietly finished second in run-stop rate (12.4%), fourth in total stops (33) and fifth in total tackles (41) among 153 interior linemen.

According to Sports Info Solutions, his 0.4 Wins Above Replacement against the run ranked 12th among all NFL players (third among DTs).

Hamilton is back on path to becoming the game's most effective run-stuffer.

Hines-Allen claims he's already there.

“He's the best nose in the game. D-Ham is the best defensive nose, tackle, whatever you want to identify him, in the NFL right now, and he's showing it and proving it every single day. When you can have that, you have that confidence that they're not going to run the ball right here. Now everybody else has to pick their level up, you know what I mean? So, again, DaVon Hamilton is the best nose in the game, and he's going to prove it."

Drop your own ballots in the comments, and let us know if there are any other awards we should hand out during the season!