Jaguars Roster Projection: Who’s Safe, Who’s in Trouble After the Draft

The most intriguing battle for a roster spot comes at the back end of the group, where DeeJay Dallas and Taylor will likely compete for the final spot, likely hinging on special teams contributions as much as offensive upside. Both players bring value as third-down options with pass-catching ability and experience in the return game, particularly on kickoffs. In a close competition, I have the edge here going to the rookie. This current regime has consistently emphasized youth and open competition, and that philosophy could ultimately tip the scales in favor of a younger, developmental option to round out the room.

Tight end (4): Brenton Strange, Quintin Morris, Nate Boerkircher (R), Tanner Koziol (R)

In 2025, the Jacksonville Jaguars initially carried just three tight ends on their 53-man roster, though that plan quickly evolved. After Brenton Strange landed on injured reserve, the team elevated Quintin Morris from the practice squad to fill the void. Even after Strange returned, the rotation remained fluid, with Hunter seeing multiple healthy scratches as the Jaguars leaned toward Morris’ blocking ability over Long’s receiving skill set.

With Nate Boerkircher, a strong in-line blocker, already in the fold, and pass-catching option Tanner Koziol added to the mix, the back end of the tight end room becomes one of the more competitive battles on the roster. As a result, both Long and Morris could find themselves fighting not only for a final roster spot but potentially for positioning on the practice squad. In this projection, the nod goes to Morris over Long, with the biggest lingering question being which player’s roster status gets the biggest special teams roster bump.

Wide receiver (4): Brian Thomas Jr, Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, Josh Cameron (R)

The Jacksonville Jaguars receiver room appears largely set at the top, with Jakobi Meyers leading the group alongside Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr. Travis Hunter provides added roster flexibility as the two-way contributor who doesn’t necessarily occupy a traditional wide receiver roster spot full-time, effectively giving the Jaguars the additional depth of a fifth receiver in the room without a conventional numbers squeeze.

That leaves the back end of the room as one of the more compelling battles to watch. C.J. Williams will need to show enough throughout camp and preseason to force a tough decision. For now, I have Josh Cameron projected to secure the WR5 role, offering developmental upside similar to a young Parker Washington, as part of the team’s longer-term vision at the position. Ultimately, I see Williams and Austin Trammell likely landing roles on the Jacksonville 2026 practice squad.

Offensive line (9*): Walker Little, Ezra Cleveland, Robert Hainsey, Patrick Mekari, Anton Harrison, Wyatt Milum, Jonah Monheim, Emmanuel Pregnon (R), Chuma Edoga,Cole Van-Lanen*

With Emmanuel Pregnon standing as the lone offseason addition, the offensive line is expected to closely resemble the unit that took the field late in the 2025 season. While Pregnon, Milum, and Monheim could challenge incumbents for starting roles heading into 2026, those battles are unlikely to significantly alter the overall roster construction along the line.

Injuries, however, may have a more immediate impact. With Cole Van Lanen recovering from a knee injury, reportedly an ACL, the Jaguars may need to lean on their existing depth early in the season. That likely keeps Walker Little, and possibly Chuma Edoga, on the roster to provide stability until Van Lanen is able to return, which could come after the start of the season.

Offensive Total Roster: (23)

Defensive tackle (5): Davon Hamilton, Arik Armstead, Albert Regis (R), Ruke Orhorhoro, Jalen Hunt (R)

With the exodus of multiple 2025 defensive tackle contributors, the depth of this room quietly recieved one of the offseason’s biggest makeovers. With Maason Smith, Khalen Saunders, and Austin Johnson switched out for Albert Regis, Ruke Orhorhoro, and 2025 surprise contributor, Matt Dickerson the team’s defensive tackle depth looks significantly different in 2026, while the starting group remains the same.

At the bottom of the roster, UDFA defensive tackle Jalen Hunt is my prime candidate to potentially shake up this position group, with a chance to push Dickerson for a roster spot. At 310 pounds, with a strength in stopping the run, and an ability on tape to line up anywhere from nose tackle to edge, he could force a difficult roster choice for the staff this offseason.

Per NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, “He’s a plus athlete with quickness to beat blockers to the spot and dart into gaps or around base blocks. He has the foot quickness to test the gap-to-gap range of a center when aligned inside. His age, production and injury history might hurt his draft chances, but his style of play and athletic ability give him a chance to compete as a rotational, one-gapping nose tackle.”

This one will come down to which performs better in camp and on special teams, where Dickerson also played 52 snaps in 2025. After playing a healthy 39% of defensive snaps (196) last year, the 30-year old Dickerson could be forced to, again, earn his spot on the defense early on, or else risk starting back-to-back seasons on the practice squad.

Edge (6): Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, Danny Striggow; B.J. Green, Wesley Williams (R), Zach Durfee (R)

With the defense effectively replacing the veteran depth roles of Dawuane Smoot and Emmanuel Ogbah with Danny Striggow and B.J. Green, the top four of this position group seems set moving forward, with the team likely pouring into the continued development of Striggow and Green. With those two taking on larger roles, rookies Wesley Williams and Zach Durfee step in as the new wave of developmental options for the future.

Linebacker (6): Foye Oluokun, Dennis Gardeck, Ventrell Miller, Jack Kiser, Branson Combs, Jalen McLeod

The linebacker group could emerge as one of the most intriguing roster storylines for the Jacksonville Jaguars heading into the 2026 season. With several members of the front office publicly expressing confidence in Combs as a key backup to Foyesade Oluokun, he appears firmly positioned within the team’s plans. While Branson is shaping up to be the next developmental prospect to watch, the organization seems prepared to hand Ventrell Miller the first opportunity to replace former All-Pro Devin Lloyd. That projection alone introduces significant uncertainty, as Miller has yet to prove himself in an expanded role at the NFL level.

The questions don’t stop there, as Kiser, Miller’s projected backup, also remains largely untested in meaningful game action, leaving his potential impact difficult to project. At the Sam backer role, Yasir Abdullah and McLeod are expected to compete for a backup role behind Gardeck, with McLeod attempting to rebound after spending the entire 2025 season on injured reserve.

If the Jaguars once again carry six linebackers, as they did in 2025, there is a very real possibility that either Abdullah or McLeod could find themselves on the outside looking in. Combs, meanwhile, may not be entirely secure either. His primary competition could come from Parker Hughes, a small-school seventh-round pick who fits the mold of late-round players this front office has shown a willingness to develop. If Hughes flashes early in camp, he could quickly force his way into the conversation also.

Cornerback (6): Travis Hunter, Montaric Brown, Jourdan Lewis, Jarrian Jones, Christian Braswell, Devon Marshall (R)

With the Jaguars carrying six cornerbacks in 2025, a similar roster construction feels likely heading into this season. Injuries play a major role in that projection, as both Lewis and Hunter are working their way back from season-ending surgeries suffered in 2025. Given the expectation that both players will be limited during offseason work, the team should have an extended opportunity to evaluate undrafted rookie Devon Marshall. That added exposure could be critical in a room where availability early in the year may not be guaranteed.

Preston Hodge is another undrafted name worth monitoring, particularly after an impressive collegiate career as a slot defender. However, Jacksonville’s nickel role appears well accounted for with Lewis and Jones, making it difficult to carve out a clear path to immediate playing time inside. Because of that, the greater opportunity may lie on the outside. Marshall could benefit from a clearer runway for reps, especially if the Jaguars experience any setbacks or additional injuries during training camp. The same could be said for 2025 UDFA Jabbar Muhammad. In a group already dealing with recovery timelines, availability and early camp performance could ultimately determine the final depth chart.

Safety (5): Eric Murray, Antonio Johnson, Caleb Ransaw, Rayuan Lane III, Jalen Huskey (R)

With the expectation that Antonio Johnson may be stepping into a starting safety role, the Jaguars will likely look to roster five safeties again this season. Lane, and Johnson, dominated in special teams opportunities in 2025. Seeing how this regime consistently rostered five safeties throughout much of last season, even after cutting Daniel Thomas and Darnell Savage, shows that Huskey should likely have a strong roster spot in 2026. Meanwhile, Ransaw will look to secure a starting spot following his 2025 season on the injured reserve.

Defensive Roster Total: 28

Special teams (3): K Cam Little, P Logan Cooke, and LS Ross Matiscik

Cam, Logan, and Ross are easily locked in as the strongest position group on the team, with Cooke and Matiscik having multiple Pro Bowls and a first team All Pro award between the pair. Little, a 2025 Pro Bowl snub, should be looked at as one of the league’s best, young kickers following a record-setting 2025.

As a note: I have Bhayshul Tuten & LeQuint Allen as the starting kick returners. Additionally, Parker Washington is penciled in as the starting punt returner with Josh Cameron as his backup.

IPP Roster Exemption: offensive lineman Kilian Zierer is in the team’s International Player Pathways (IPP) program, which allows the team a 17th spot on the practice squad for an international player, who can be elevated to the active roster up to three times per season. In the offseason, this exemption allows for 91 players to be rostered.

Potential Injury Considerations* (3): OT Cole Van Lanen, CB Jourdan Lewis, CB Travis Hunter

These player’s injuries should be considered in the makeup of this 53-man roster, as no advanced injury information has been provided by the team on these players, which could considerably alter the roster decisions at final cut downs.

Offensive Tackle Cole Van-Lanen: After missing the 2025 training camp with a shoulder injury, Cole Van Lanen now faces the possibility of being limited again in a second straight offseason. If his current injury, rumored to be an ACL issue, proves serious, he could emerge as a candidate to land on injured reserve at final roster cuts, potentially with a designation to return later in the season. This is the primary scenario where I see Chuma Edoga making the early roster.

Cornerbacks Jourdan Lewis and Travis Hunter: As noted in the above cornerback section, the return from injury of both Lewis and Hunter to full go will be something worth watching into the early weeks of the season. Any setback or conditioning issues could impact the final 53-man roster determinations by the staff.

Notable Predicted Cuts:

• OL Chuma Edoga*
• RB DeeJay Dallas
• TE Hunter Long
• WR CJ Williams (R)- practice squad possibility
• WR Austin Trammel- practice squad possibility
• DL Matt Dickerson- practice squad possibility
• DL Keivie Rose- practice squad possibility
• LB Parker Hughes (R)- practice squad possibility
• LB Yasir Abdullah
• CB Jabbar Muhammad- practice squad possibility
• CB Keni-H Lovely- practice squad possibility

While it’s rarely a good thing to have two recently drafted players on the cutting block in the months following the draft, both Williams and Hughes were selected based on traits, in the late sixth and seventh rounds of this year’s draft. If either makes it through waivers, I’d expect the team to look to add them to the practice squad.

Roster Expectations:

With 11 rookies, eight draft selections and three undrafted free agents, projected to make this 53-man roster, Jacksonville doubles down on its draft-and-develop approach entering 2026.

As was the case in 2025, this initial 53-man projection likely won’t last. This front office is highly active when it comes to reshaping the bottom of the roster, and 2026 should be no different. Expect continued aggression on the waiver wire and trade market to add developmental depth at:

• Defensive Tackle
• Outside Cornerback
• Backup Quarterback

Your turn, Big Cat Country. Who’s your surprise roster addition, and who’s on the outside looking in? Let us know in the comments!