ClutchPoints
The Jacksonville Jaguars left the 2025 NFL Draft with Travis Hunter, making the reigning Heisman Trophy winner the center of the team’s media attention. Yet, several other debutants have stood out in the Jaguars’ rookie minicamp and OTAs, particularly undrafted wideout Eli Pancol.
With just one successful season across five years at Duke, Pancol did not enter the league with high expectations. But behind Hunter and 2024 standout Brian Thomas Jr., the Jaguars lack depth at receiver. They subsequently signed six undrafted free agent wideouts coming out of the draft, hoping a few would stand out above the rest. Pancol seized the opportunity early in minicamp and has continued the momentum in OTAs.
Despite his failure to break onto draft boards, Pancol has been on scouts’ radars for years. As a former four-star recruit, many expected him to break out early in his career. Yet, Pancol’s injury luck could not have been much worse. The Pendleton, Indiana, native broke his left ankle in 2022, only to return and break his right ankle in 2023.
Recovering from two devastating lower-leg injuries was anything but easy, but Pancol finally got his day in court as a fifth-year senior in 2024. The speedster hauled in a team-high 60 catches for 798 receiving yards, establishing himself as one of Maalik Murphy’s preferred targets. Many wrote him off by that point, but Pancol was a major factor in Duke’s surprising 9-3 finish.
Had he not suffered consecutive serious ankle injuries to derail his collegiate career, most believe that Pancol would have been a priority draft pick. While the journey might have been extended longer than he had hoped, Pancol has made the most of his opportunity at the Jaguars’ 2025 OTAs.
Since gracing the practice field, Pancol has been nothing but impressive. The ankle injuries appear to be a thing of the past, as he has been nothing but quick and explosive. Pancol ran an unofficial 4.33-second 40-yard dash at Duke’s Pro Day workouts, according to the Draft Network. So far, his speed has been as advertised at the Jaguars’ OTAs.
Pancol has proven to be more than speed, making eye-opening plays each day. Without pads, the physicality of his slight frame has yet to be tested, but he continues to be “athletic” and “impressive” in OTAs, according to Sports Illustrated’s John Shipley.
“If there is one thing that has been clear about the Jaguars’ rookie class thus far, it is that rookie wide receiver Eli Pancol is a playmaker,” Shipley wrote. “He has to prove that it can carry over from padless practices, but he has made a handful of plays in each practice that have impressed, and Thursday was no different. Pancol made one of the best plays of the day with an athletic catch on the left sideline, and he has also had several big gains over the middle of the field. It is very, very early, but it feels safe to say his...
