Josh Cameron is making an early impact for the Jacksonville Jaguars as a rookie wide receiver and special teams contributor. Cameron caught his second touchdown in three weeks during the first half of Jacksonville’s victory over the New England Patriots. He also made a tackle on kickoff coverage and returned a kickoff 42 yards, the Jaguars’ longest kickoff return to that point in the season.
The Jaguars selected Cameron in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the No. 191 overall pick. He was the 29th receiver selected in the draft. Through the first three games, Cameron is one of four rookie receivers with a touchdown and is tied for the rookie lead in touchdown receptions.
Cameron’s early production has come despite entering Jacksonville as a Day 3 selection in a deep wide receiver room. The rookie has earned opportunities as a receiver while also handling responsibilities on special teams. His versatility has made him a player the Jaguars can use in multiple phases.
Cameron contributes across special teams
Cameron serves as the personal protector on punt coverage, and his work against New England extended beyond his touchdown. Just one play after scoring, he ran down the field to make a tackle on kickoff coverage. He later gave Jacksonville a field-position boost with his 42-yard kickoff return.
Head coach Liam Coen pointed to those plays as an example of Cameron’s value to the Jaguars. “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.”
Coen also highlighted Cameron’s preparation, intelligence and willingness to contribute wherever needed. “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.”
Rookie continues to build on opportunities
Cameron said he remains focused on making the most of his chances with Jacksonville. “I am blessed to be in this position,” Cameron said. “I am just going to continue to stack and make the most of my opportunities for sure.”
He said preparation and routine help him manage his responsibilities across offense and special teams. “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.”
Cameron also described a path that included being overlooked during the recruiting process. He recalled a recruiting service telling his mother that he could not play at the Power 5 level before he eventually did so. “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.”
Jacksonville defense preserves halftime advantage
The Jaguars’ victory over the New England Patriots also included a red-zone interception. Second-year wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter intercepted New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye on third-and-goal from the 2 just before halftime, preserving a 14-3 Jacksonville lead at the break.
Jacksonville’s defense has intercepted a pass in the red zone in each of the last three weeks, according to the team. Cornerback Jourdan Lewis said those takeaways remove scoring opportunities and can change a game’s momentum. The defensive play against New England added to a team result in which Cameron contributed as a receiver and on special teams.
FSB Take
Cameron’s early impact gives the Jacksonville Jaguars a sixth-round rookie who is contributing in more than one phase. He is tied for the rookie lead in touchdown receptions while handling personal-protector, kickoff-coverage and return responsibilities. That combination gives Jacksonville another versatile option as Cameron continues to make the most of his opportunities.
Source: Original report