The Jaguars must reduce their roster to 53 players by August 30 but the truth is that most of the spots have probably been decided. The Jags, on the other hand, might have a hard time putting together their practice squad, which consists of 16 slots.
Wide receiver Tim Jones should make the team after hauling in 14 receptions for 219 yards in four preseason games. But if doesn’t get a roster spot, he would be one of a handful of prime candidates the Jags must stash in their practice squad. Here are four more.
No. 4 candidate for Jaguars practice squad: Cole Van Lanen, OL
This should be a no-brainer. The Jags acquired offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen from the Green Bay Packers just a few days before their game against the Atlanta Falcons in the preseason finale.
A sixth-round selection by the Packers in the 2021 draft, Van Lanen was probably going to struggle to make Green Bay’s 53-man roster due to the depth they have in the trenches. Nevertheless, he’s a solid addition to the Jags’ offensive line.
Van Lanen saw playing time against the Falcons. He appeared in 61 snaps and posted a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 81.5. It was just one game and the sophomore faced off against second and third-stringers. However, the Jaguars’ coaching staff should be thrilled about his upside.
At this stage of his NFL career, Van Lanen is still a work in progress, but giving him time to develop in the practice squad could end up paying dividends down the road.
No. 3 candidate for Jaguars practice squad: Kevin Austin Jr., WR
There was plenty of hype surrounding wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. after joining the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent. The former Notre Dame Irish missed his sophomore campaign due to off-field issues and a good chunk of the 2020 season with a fractured foot. However, he bounced back in 2021 and hauled in 48 receptions for 888 receiving yards with seven touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Austin didn’t do much of note in the offseason and was outperformed by fellow undrafted wide receiver Lujuan Winningham. Moreover, he struggled with drops in training camp. Nevertheless, he’s survived two rounds of roster cuts but won’t probably be around after the last one.
The Jaguars’ brass probably likes his upside (even with the drops) and might be willing to wait for him to develop into a solid contributor. If that’s the case, the best course of action would be to sign him to the practice squad.
After all, most of the Jaguars’ wide receiver spots on the depth chart have already been earmarked and one, two at most, are still open. And they will go to either Tim Jones or Jeff Cotton Jr., so there’s no room for Austin on the active roster.
The Jaguars’ brass added Christian Kirk and Zay Jones to their wide receiver room in free agency, so it didn’t make much sense to invest an early pick in the position. However, signing Austin once the draft was over was a low-risk move.
No. 2 candidate for Jaguars practice squad: Gerrit Prince, TE
Tight end was one of several positions the Jaguars need to address following the 2021 season and they mostly took care of it when they signed Evan Engram to a one-year deal in free agency. However, the team’s brass must prepare for next year, when Engram, Dan Arnold, and Chris Manhertz, their three top tight ends on the depth chart, are slated to become free agents. Maybe that’s what prompted them to sign Gerrit Prince as an undrafted free agent earlier this year.
The former UAB Blazer wasn’t much of a difference-maker early in his collegiate career, hauling in a combined 14 receptions for 129 yards. However, he went on to catch 36 passes for 699 yards with 10 touchdowns as a senior and later showed out at the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl, which helped get attention from football scouts. Nevertheless, the draft came and went and his name wasn’t called.
Prince then joined the Jags as an undrafted free agent and was even named their most exciting addition. He had what you would call an uneventful offseason but he shined at times in the preseason. Against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, he was targeted four times and caught three passes for 30 yards. And in the finale, he had a 17-yard reception.
There’s no room for Prince on the roster but he could spend his rookie year in the practice squad and possibly compete for a backup job next year.
No. 1 candidate for Jaguars practice squad: Gregory Junior, CB
Just like wide receiver, cornerback figures to be a position of strength for the Jaguars in 2022, at least when it comes to depth. They have a pair of starting cornerbacks in Shaquill Griffin and Tyson Campbell but still made a big investment in Darious Williams, who got a three-year, $30 million deal in free agency. Tre Herndon and Chris Claybrooks will tentatively be the top backups and Xavier Crawford seems like a good bet to make the 53-man roster.
This leaves rookies Montaric Brown and Gregory Junior as victims of the numbers game. The Jags already moved on from undrafted free agent Benjie Franklin Monday, so it might be a matter of time before the team’s brass waive Brown and Junior. Franklin earned praise from the coaching staff and Griffin in the offseason and is a candidate to land in the practice squad, just like Junior if he doesn’t make the team, which is the most likely outcome.
Junior was the first ever prospect in Ouachita Baptist’s history to be drafted. The Arkansas native logged 128 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, 17 passes defensed, and one interception in 43 collegiate games. His performance in the Senior Bowl caught the eye of several NFL scouts but general manager Trent Baalke recalls that the Jags did a good job of identifying him last fall.
Like most players on this list, Junior would benefit from a year in a practice squad, so the Jaguars should stash him there as soon as they get the chance, which is one day after the last round of cuts.