5 Jaguars who had no business making the final 2021 roster

Jaguars player that shouldn’t have made the roster No. 2 – Daniel Thomas

How quickly things change from one year to another. Former Houston Oilers head coach Jerry Glanville was into something when he told a referee that the NFL stands for Not For Long. You could have a starting job one day and suddenly lose it. Jaguars safety Daniel Thomas might know that feeling.

A fifth-round selection in 2020’s draft, Thomas moved up the depth chart and joined the starting lineup up in Week 10 last season. However, he suffered an injury the following game and missed the rest of the year. Jacksonville revamped their safety room in the offseason and the unit looks very different from their 2020 version.

Heading into the 2021 season, the Auburn product looked like a good bet to reclaim his starting job. Nevertheless, he tumbled down the depth chart while third-year safety Andrew Wingard and rookie Ande Cisco gained ground. Now, Thomas definitely showed flashes as a rookie but it was kind of puzzling to see him make the team over veteran Jarrod Wilson, who was released in the last round of cuts.

Head coach Urban Meyer told the local media either Cisco or Wingard will start opposite of free-agent acquisition Rayshawn Jenkins in Week 1 of the regular season. Another newcomer, Rudy Ford, has also earned praise from Meyer and could see a significant amount of snaps on defense in 2021. While Thomas could end up earning playing time, he might be relegated to special teams at the start of the season.