The Jacksonville Jaguars’ preseason opener ended in defeat with the team losing to Pittsburgh 31-25.
However, during this time of the year, it’s now about wins and losses, but rather the attention is more so on individual performances that will impact playing time and what the final roster looks like.
So given what we saw in last night’s game, what might the Jaguars’ latest 53-man roster prediction look like? There were a few changes made.
Jacksonville Jaguars 53-man roster prediction on offense
Quarterback (2): Trevor Lawrence, Nick Mullens
Mullens is familiar with Liam Coen’s system, having played under Kevin O’Connell while in Minnesota. When it comes to rostering two vs. three quarterbacks, I think that roster spot could be better used elsewhere.
Running back (4): Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, Bhayshul Tuten, LeQuint Allen
Getting four running backs touches won’t be easy. However, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that the Jaguars plan to keep four running backs and use a committee approach.
Wide receiver (6): Dyami Brown, Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, Travis Hunter, Josh Cephus, Trenton Irwin
I added Irwin as the sixth receiver. He was one of the standout performers against the Steelers, has special teams experience, and keeping six wideouts with Hunter playing cornerback as well makes sense.
Tight end (3): Johnny Mundt, Hunter Long, Brenton Strange
This is a position where the Jaguars can go light and use practice squad elevations on game day to bolster their depth as needed.
Offensive line (9): Walker Little, Ezra Cleveland, Robert Hainsey, Patrick Mekari, Anton Harrison, Chuma Edoga, Fred Johnson, Wyatt Milum, Jonah Monheim
Cole Van Lanen could still make his way onto the roster–the Jaguars seem to like him as their swing tackle option off the bench. But with unknowns around his current injury, I’m going to keep him off for the time being.
Jacksonville Jaguars 53-man roster prediction on defense
Defensive line (9): Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, Dawuane Smoot, Arik Armstead, Maason Smith, DaVon Hamilton, Emmanuel Ogbah, Tyler Lacy, Austin Johnson
The recently signed Johnson seems to be making plays in practice and he brings added experience to the tackle position. I went lighter at defensive end with both Dennis Gardeck and Jalen McLeod able to be utilized as pass rushers.
Linebacker (6): Devin Lloyd, Foyesade Oluokun, Jalen McLeod, Ventrell Miller, Dennis Gardeck, Jack Kiser
Not included is Chad Muma. On the Jaguars’ unofficial depth chart, one of the backup linebacker roles was listed as Muma or Kiser, who continues to flash as training camp unfolds. Both can help on special teams as well, so the tie goes to the recent draft pick.
Cornerback (5): Tyson Campbell, Jourdan Lewis, Jarrian Jones, Montaric Brown, De’Antre Prince
With Hunter, the Jaguars have six options at cornerback. We know the first four players listed above will be on the team, but that final spot is up for grabs. For now, I’ll give Prince the advantage.
Safety (6): Eric Murray, Darnell Savage, Antonio Johnson, Caleb Ransaw, Rayuan Lane, Andrew Wingard
Much like linebacker, I’m not sure if the Jaguars keep all six of these players, but I wasn’t sure who to let go of, either. Savage, Johnson, and Wingard are competing for playing time, while Lane can help on teams right away.
Special teams (3): Logan Cooke, Ross Matiscik, Cam Little
There’s no mystery here.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars 53-man roster prediction after preseason game vs. Steelers
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
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