The Jacksonville Jaguars will open the 2025 preseason at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with “everybody” seeing some form of playing time in this game.
During the preseason, instead of focusing on how the Jaguars stack up to their opponent, we look internally at what positional battles are taking place that will ultimately shape playing time and what the 53-man roster looks like in a few weeks.
So before kickoff, let’s take inventory of what positional battles are taking place.
Jaguars’ third quarterback
We don’t know if Liam Coen will roster two or three quarterbacks, but even if he goes with two, a spot on the practice squad will be available. John Wolford has experience in Coen’s offense, but Seth Henigan is the younger, higher upside player, which teams tend to lean towards when it comes to practice squad and back-end roster spots.
Running back
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that the Jaguars plan to keep four running backs on the 53-man roster and will use a committee approach throughout the season.
So to a degree, with that information, a lot of the mystery that surrounded this position group is gone. We’ve also seen throughout training camp that Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne have taken most of the first-team reps.
But I would guess things will remain fluid at this position, with matchups and whoever has the hot hand dictating what playing time looks like. So, playing time-wise, I’m not sure anything is set in stone right now.
Final roster spot or two at receiver
The question here is, do the Jaguars roster five or six receivers? And who earns that spot(s)? Based on how training camp has unfolded, I would venture to guess that Trenton Irwin, Josh Cephus, and Eli Pancol are competing for the final one to two roster spots at receiver, with four spots on the depth chart already accounted for.
Who is the Jaguars’ TE2?
Brenton Strange will lead the way at this position, but Hunter Long and Johnny Mundt are competing for that TE2 role–although I anticipate that we see both players this season. A well-rounded skill set is always valuable, but this is going to be a blocking-heavy role, so whoever can perform best in that phase of the game may end up earning those snaps.
The right side of the offensive line
On the Jaguars’ unofficial depth chart, the starting right guard spot was listed as Patrick Mekari or Chuma Edoga. ESPN’s Michael DiRocco also reported after offseason programs that Edoga and Anton Harrison were sharing first-team reps at right tackle.
The Jaguars have embraced competition on the offensive line, but these two positions in particular seem to be the most up for grabs at this time.
Playing time at defensive tackle
DaVon Hamilton, along with Arik Armstead and Maason Smith when they return from injury, will be key figures at the tackle position. But this is a unit where four or sometimes five players see steady playing time. So, who can emerge and show consistent play to earn those remaining snaps that might be available?
Backup linebacker role
Devin Lloyd and Foye Oluokun are starting at linebacker, as we know. Ventrell Miller is locked into one of the backup roles, but interestingly, on the unofficial depth chart, the second starting spot was listed as Chad Muma or Jack Kiser. Over the last week of practices, Kiser has continued to flash and has ample special teams experience coming out of college.
When the Jaguars are in their base 4-3 look under Anthony Campanile, Yasir Abdullah and Dennis Gardeck appear to be competing for that third starting spot based on the depth chart.
Starting cornerback spot opposite of Tyson Campbell
Jarrian Jones and Travis Hunter are vying for this playing time. Prior to Montaric Brown’s injury, he had taken a lot of the first-team reps.
Getting acclimated to Campanile’s zone-heavy defense came with a learning curve for Jones during offseason programs, but as he’s gotten more reps, he’s adjusted well. Hunter has continued to display impressive ball skills and his ability to operate in space.
While there will be a starter on paper, both could have roles this season, with Hunter’s playing time coming in more obvious passing situations when he can go and get the ball.
Who starts next to Eric Murray?
Andrew Wingard may be the favorite for this role right now. On the unofficial depth chart, he was listed as the starter, but he is competing for this playing time with Darnell Savage and Antonio Johnson.
In Campanaile’s defense, versatility and being able to handle a variety of roles are key when it comes to playing the safety position.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 9 Positional battles to watch in Jaguars vs. Steelers preseason game
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
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