By Hays Carlyon
The NFL Draft is behind us. The Jaguars had a strong three days – I’d give general manager Trent Baalke and coach Doug Pederson an A- as a grade – adding nine players, plus picking up a third-rounder and fourth-rounder from Minnesota in the 2025 draft for trading back six spots in the first round.
So, how does the roster look now? Let’s project the 53-man roster for Week 1, keeping every drafted player. We’re not going to include any undrafted free agents.
Let’s take a look at what each position looks like and where the roster still needs work as we get closer to the summer. There are still free agents available. The Jaguars are also well positioned to make a trade, using some of their 2025 draft capital, either in a deal this summer or perhaps at the trade deadline.
Here is my current projection of where the 53-man roster stands if it had to be cut down from 90 today. I’ve made note of the nine players that made the post-free-agency projection that have now been squeezed out with the addition of the draftees.
OFFENSE (25 players)
QUARTERBACK (2)
Who: Trevor Lawrence and Mac Jones.
CUT: C.J. Beathard.
Why: I wouldn’t carry three quarterbacks. I get that the league is trending in that direction, but I feel like the team can re-sign Beathard or find a capable replacement to back up Jones if Lawrence gets hurt this season.
RUNNING BACK (4)
Who: Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, D’Ernest Johnson and Keilan Robinson (fifth round).
Why: Robinson barely carried the ball at Texas. He’s here to partner with receiver Devin Duvernay as the team’s primary returners in the NFL’s new kickoff format.
RECEIVER (6)
Who: Brian Thomas (first round), Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, Zay Jones, Devin Duvernay and Elijah Cooks.
CUT: Parker Washington.
Why: The future of Zay Jones seems uncertain to me. Can you pay a fourth receiver $11 million? The Jaguars might after seeing the position decimated by injuries a year ago. If they keep Jones, my bet is Washington – a sixth-round pick a year ago – is the odd man out.
TIGHT END (4)
Who: Evan Engram, Brenton Strange, Luke Farrell and Josiah Deguara.
Why: No changes here. Engram is a standout and Farrell is reliable in his small role. Strange is a major X-Factor. Will the second-round pick in 2023 become a significant contributor? I’m assuming Deguara, who the team signed this offseason, supplants Doug Pederson’s son, Josh.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9)
Who: Cam Robinson, Ezra Cleveland, Mitch Morse, Brandon Scherff, Anton Harrison, Walker Little, Luke Fortner, Javon Foster (fourth round) and Cooper Hodges.
CUT: Blake Hance.
Why: Tyler Shatley, who turns 33 in May, was re-signed to a minimal one-year contract after our free-agency wrap-up 53. I’ll say he goes through training camp but ultimately doesn’t make the 53. If I keep 10 offensive linemen, I can only keep three tight ends. I don’t see the Jags doing that. Hance goes with the arrival of Foster.
DEFENSE (25 players)
DEFENSIVE TACKLE (5)
Who: Arik Armstead, Roy Robertson-Harris, Maason Smith (second round), DaVon Hamilton and Jordan Jefferson (fourth round).
CUT: Tyler Lacy, Adam Gotsis and Jeremiah Ledbetter.
Why: We’ve had confirmation that new defensive coordinator Ryan Neilsen is running a 4-3 scheme, so this projection reflects that switch. I don’t see how Lacy fits, so the fourth-rounder from last year is out. Veterans Gotsis and Ledbetter go too to make room for the two rookies.
DEFENSIVE END (5)
Who: Josh Allen, Travon Walker, Trevis Gipson, Myles Cole (seventh round) and Yasir Abdullah.
CUT: De’Shaan Dixon.
Why: The combo of Allen and Walker is elite. The depth is my biggest concern on the roster. I don’t think Abdullah – a fifth-round pick a year ago — will be a great fit with his slight frame, but I kept him. Baalke conceded Cole is a developmental project. I would sign a veteran to be the top reserve ahead of Gipson and bump Abdullah off the 53.
LINEBACKER (4)
Who: Foye Oluokun, Devin Lloyd, Chad Muma and Ventrell Miller.
Why: Oluokun is a great player and leader who was just rewarded with an extension. Lloyd will be the strongside linebacker in the 4-3 and join Oluokun in nickel. That leaves Muma and Miller to battle for the weakside spot. I’ll be interested to see if Abdullah maybe gets a look at linebacker in OTAs.
CORNERBACK (6)
Who: Tyson Campbell, Jarrian Jones (third round), Ronald Darby, Deantre Prince (fifth round), Montaric Brown and Christian Braswell.
Why: Jones and Prince bring the press-man skills Neilsen is looking for in his scheme. Jones needs to be ready for a major role.
SAFETY (5)
Who: Andre Cisco, Darnell Savage, Antonio Johnson, Andrew Wingard and Daniel Thomas.
CUT: Erick Hallett.
Why: I kept six safeties a month ago, but really the number should be five. These are five good players. I still don’t think Savage ends up playing nickel as much as Baalke and Pederson have suggested, especially with two rookie corners coming onboard.
SEPCIALISTS (3)
Who: Cam Little (kicker), Logan Cooke (punter) and Ross Matiscik (long snapper).
CUT: Joey Slye.
Why: The draft talent pool was historically shallow thanks to NIL, so taking an elite kicking prospect like Little was a smart play in the sixth round. Little should unseat Joey Slye. Cooke and Matiscik are elite.
CONCLUSION
The Jaguars should feel good about how their roster looks. The starting lineup looks promising with no glaring weakness, especially if Jarrian Jones hits. The depth at edge continues to be major concern, but the Jaguars have the resources to address it. They’ve also strengthened their ability to use a 2025 pick to trade for a big-time veteran either this summer or at the trade deadline. I’ll be interested to see if left tackle Cam Robinson and receiver Zay Jones are on the roster by Week 1. Both could be potential trade candidates in the right situation. Overall, this is a team with enough talent to make the playoffs.
(You can email Hays at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @HaysCarlyon).
