Jags Final 53 Breakdown

The Jacksonville Jaguars 53 man roster has been released and so far they look like an improved team on paper. Whether that translates to the football field is yet to be determined but so far new GM James Gladstone and HC Liam Coen seem to be headed the right direction. Most importantly for Jaguar fans they both seem to be headed the same direction. Something that hasn't really been true throughout Khan's tenure as owner. It certainly wasn't the case with Baalke as GM and never seemed to be true with Dave Caldwell at the helm either. So let's breakdown the roster for the upcoming season.

QB's - Trevor Lawrence and Nick Mullens

There were a lot of rumors swirling that Liam Coen would look to reunite with Kyle Trask after his release from Tampa. However, the Jags didn't put in a waiver claim for him which leads me to believe Coen is comfortable rolling with Mullens as the backup to starter Trevor Lawrence. The stage is set for Lawrence to have his best year yet. With a better scheme/play-caller, the best weapons he's had to date, and a division projected to be one of the worst in the league the time is now. The Jags will go as far as Lawrence takes them.

RB's - Travis Ettiene, Tank Bigsby, Bayshul Tuten, and LeQuint Allen Jr

As expected the Jaguars kept four running backs (most teams keep 3) for the initial 53 man roster. All four backs showed flashes of excellence during camp to the point that Coen and Gladstone felt like they had to keep all 4 guys. If the O-line can open up some holes expect a lot of explosiveness from this group. Ettiene could be a top 5 back in terms of receptions this year if Coen sticks with the screen heavy approach he used as OC in Tampa Bay. Bigsby should lead the team in carries unless his fumbling issues keep him on the sidelines. That could potentially open the door for more work from Tuten.

WR's - Brian Thomas Jr, Dyami Brown, Travis Hunter, Parker Washington, and Tim Patrick

Austin Trammel was originally the 5th receiver but a late trade for Tim Patrick changed that. The Jags are going just 5 deep at receiver but it's probably the most talent they've had at the position. Thomas Jr will look to build on a monster rookie season that saw him emerge as a top 10 WR. Brown and Washington both had awesome camps and will look to be major contributors in a Liam Coen offense that loves to spread the ball around. Then of course there is the dynamic rookie Travis Hunter who should start along side Thomas Jr and give Lawrence another explosive weapon on the outside. Gladstone dealt a 6th rounder to get Tim Patrick from the Lions before the cut down deadline. He's a big bodied receiver who should really round out an already impressive group. The only thing to worry about here is how much Travis Hunter gets to contribute on offense. Luckily the CB room looks deep this year but injuries could force Hunter to get more snaps on the defensive side of the ball.

TE's - Brenton Strange, Johnny Mundt, Hunter Long

This group has a really high floor but the ceiling will all depend on Strange who is heading into his 3rd season. He has a higher upside, as far as a receiving threat, than Long or Mundt. Look for him to be the difference between this group being good or great.

OL - Projected Starters: Walker Little, Ezra Cleveland, Robert Hainsey, Patrick Mekari, Anton Harrison

Reserves: Chuma Edoga, Cole Van Lanen, Wyatt Milum, Jonah Monheim

The Jaguars will run it back with Little, Cleveland, and Harrison while adding FA additions Hainsey and Mekari to the starting unit. After much was made about Little and Harrison potentially losing their spots in a training camp competition they seem to be safe for now. Jags fans might not like that but both looked better than anyone Jacksonville brought in to compete with them. Little and Harrison were both higher draft picks so maybe a new scheme and coaching staff can get them to where they need to be. This unit is once again the biggest question mark on the roster but for a different reason. Under Baalke the question had always been is this the year the same guys from last year take a step forward? The question under Gladstone is now can the new additions improve the chemistry and depth of the O-line? The Jags are also very high on rookie Wyatt Milum who could steal a starting role as the season progresses and rookie Jonah Monheim who they felt comfortable enough with to move on from Luke Fortner. They'll lean on both of these guys for depth this year.

DL - Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, Davon Hamilton, Arik Armstead, Dawuane Smoot, Emmanuel Ogbah, Khalen Saunders Sr, Austin Johnson, Maason Smith, Danny Strigow, BJ Green II

Jacksonville went heavy on the DL this year rolling 11 deep for the initial 53 man roster. This group will need to be awesome if the Jags are going to make a run. They have a lot invested along the DL but they have the potential to be the best unit on the team. Walker and JHA return as two of the leagues premier edge rushers. It took Gladstone all of one offseason to fix Baalke's second biggest roster flaw: lack of edge depth. Ogbah and the return of fan favorite Smoot should be more than capable of giving Walker and Hines-Allen a bit of break without the pass rush coming to a screeching halt. Gladstone and Coen probably didn't plan on keeping 11 but Strigow, BJ Green II, and Austin Johnson all earned a roster spot with stellar camps and an even better preseason performance. Saunders will help in the run game and the team is still high on Maason Smith who is working back from injury. Just not a lot of room for cuts when you break it down. One interesting take away from the initial roster is Armstead being listed as strictly a Defensive Tackle meaning his time at edge rusher is hopefully over. He and Hamilton will need big seasons to hold on to starting spots in very deep DL room.

LB's - Foyesade Oluokon, Devin Lloyd, Ventrell Miller, Jack Kiser, Yasir Abdullah, Dennis Gardeck

This unit is the 2nd biggest question mark on the roster behind offensive line and that's only because of Oluokon. After that I'm not sure anyone knows what the rotation will look like and for how long. The assumption is that Miller and Lloyd will start next to Oluokon but that's not a certainty. It will be a huge year for Lloyd as Chad Muma who was taken in the same draft class was already cut. Gladstone and Coen have already shown that they aren't afraid to move on from players from the Baalke years and Lloyd could be the odd man out as soon as next year. The rumor is that the coaching staff loves rookie Jack Kiser so it wouldn't be a shock if he earns a spot later in the year. Abdullah will presumably be depth at the SAM position with Gardeck rounding out the group. Jacksonville will need someone to step up next to Oluokon if this unit wants to go from projected weakness to a strength.

CB's - Tyson Campbell, Jourdan Lewis, Jarrian Jones, Travis Hunter, Montaric Brown, Christian Braswell

This is another contender for best position group on the team if not the deepest. It appears that the Jags are set to start Jarrian Jones alongside Jourdan Lewis in the slot and Tyson Campbell. As much as Hunter wants to play both ways full time they simply might not need him to. Montaric Brown also had a nice camp and could be the choice to fill in full time if there is an injury somewhere. Braswell will round out the group as the 6th corner but did a nice job to earn a roster spot in camp as well. He was expected by most to be a cut casualty this year and possible practice squad candidate. If they stay healthy this might be the deepest the team has been at CB since the 2017 squad.

Safety - Andrew Wingard, Darnell Savage, Antonio Johnson, Eric Murray, Rayuan Lane III

This is the weakest position group on the team by a long shot. Longtime Jaguar Andrew Wingard is apparently expected to get first shot at the starting FS spot. Wingard has become a fan favorite in Duval but his last stint as a starter didn't exactly go great. Savage should get the first crack at SS but was a liability in coverage last season. Eric Murray should provide some depth but there isn't a high ceiling there either. The player with most upside is probably Antonio Johnson but it's possible he has the lowest floor too. It doesn't look great if he couldn't nab a starting spot in this safety room. Lane III was able to wrestle away the Special Teams spot from Daniel Thomas after an impressive camp covering kicks.

Special Teams - K Cam Little, P Logan Cooke, LS Ross Matiscik

The boys are all back again this year and will look to build on a great year last year. Cam Little has generated a ton of buzz this preseason after nailing a 70 yarder (yeah you read that right). He'll look to establish himself as the best kicker in the league. Did you see his chip shot 59 yard field goal in that last preseason game? No kicker has ever made a kick that long look so effortless. He was dead center off the net on that kick by the way. Logan Cooke is a top 5 punter in this league and will look to put together another stellar year. They'll both be sent the ball by the best long snapper in the business Ross Matiscik.

Final Thoughts

There's a lot of turnover on this roster from last season and the team will need to come together quick if they want to get off to a hot start. Not to re-state the obvious but it's all going to start with Trevor Lawrence. He finally has a scheme and coaching staff that will play to his strength's, a true number 1 receiver, and the deepest group of weapons he's played with in the NFL. He'll have to be the on that lifts the team up instead of constantly being dragged down by it. The time is now for the former number 1 pick. Another thing that should help him out is the commitment to the run game this year under Coen. The Jaguars kept four running backs on the roster because they want to run the ball early and often. There's not a lot of backfields with more upside than the Jags this year. Look for them to be a top 10 rushing offense at the very least by the end of the season. Gladstone made some interesting decisions to fix the O-line this season and it could be the only thing standing between a good offense and a great offense this season. The defensive line is the deepest it's ever been and will have to be a top 5-10 unit to carry a defense that will most likely have holes at LB and Safety this season. The good news is the CB room is almost as deep as the defensive line and should provide much better coverage on the outside than last year. With an improved pass rush and better cornerback play Jacksonville should no longer be the worst pass defense in the NFL. On paper Gladstone and Coen have assembled a much deeper and well thought out roster. The only thing left is to put it on the field and see how it plays out.