The Jacksonville Jaguars raised eyebrows when they signed outside linebacker BJ Ojulari. After all, they weren't in immediate need of pass rush help. On top of that, they didn't have an open spot on the 53-man roster for him. The expectation was that the Jags were going to place sophomore B.J. Green on the Injury Reserve list to make room for Ojulari.
However, the Jags threw a curveball when they announced that Ojulari was added to the practice squad, not the active roster. They did place Green on the practice squad but did so to make room for Jack Kiser, who missed training camp with a knee injury and was waived on cutdown day.
While Kiser offers immediate depth at linebacker and can contribute on special teams, Green is a pivotal piece in the pass-rush rotation. His absence will sting. That said, Ojulari showed the ability to get after the quarterback when he was healthy with the Arizona Cardinals. This begs the question, who benefits the most from Ojulari's arrival? Who'll be affected negatively? With this in mind, here are the two biggest winners and losers from the decision to sign him.
Biggest Jaguars winners and losers from the BJ Ojulari signing
Winner: BJ Ojulari, outside linebacker
Players' readiness is always variable, and players sometimes need a fresh start to truly put it all together. That could be the case for BJ Ojulari, who'll have a prime opportunity to rebuild his stock after an injury-marred stint with the Cards. Sure, he didn't take Green's roster spot but could fill in for him for as long as he's unavailable.
The former LSU Tiger was a second-round pick in 2023 for a reason. He showed pass-rush potential as a rookie, registering four sacks. Expected to take the next step in 2024, Ojulari instead missed his sophomore campaign with an ACL tear. He also dealt with injuries last year.
Although Ojulari was at last healthy in 2026, the Cardinals gave him the boot on cutdown day. He'll get a chance in Duval to show they made a mistake.
Loser: Wesley Williams, defensive end
Wesley Williams was always going to have an uphill battle to see the field as a rookie. He didn't do much of note in training camp, while sophomores Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II made noticeable strides. Compounding the issue is that undrafted rookie Brian Thomas Jr. came out of nowhere to sneak onto the 53-man roster.
It's not that Williams is bad. It's just that there are other pass rushers ahead of him on the depth chart who can make a bigger impact right now.
In fact, Williams may not get much playing time anytime soon after BJ Ojulari's arrival despite the fact that he's on the practice squad and not the active roster.
Winner: Anthony Campanile, defensive coordinator
After overseeing an impressive turnaround in his first season as the Jaguars defensive coordinator, Anthony Campanile earned legitimate consideration for head-coaching vacancies in the NFL in the 2026 hiring cycle. However, coach Cam returned to Duval, where he'll be able to continue to build his stock and get the best possible gig next year.
By working with players like BJ Ojulari and getting the most out of them, Campanile will show he's a top head-coaching candidate. Already, he was able to turn safety Antonio Johnson, cornerback Montaric Brown, and linebacker Devin Lloyd, just to name a few, into highly productive players.
Similarly, Campanile had a big role in developing undrafted free agents B.J. Green II, Danny Striggow, and Bryan Thomas Jr. Ojulari could be the next player who benefits from his tutelage.
Winner: James Gladstone, general manager
You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take, and James Gladstone is certainly not afraid of taking a flyer on underachieving players to see what they bring to the table.
This past offseason alone, he brougth in veteran running back Ameer Abdullah and linebacker Jahlani Tavai. Both of them appeared to be long shots to make the team but ended up getting a roster spot. Last year, it was tight end Quintin Morris who remains in Duval as of this writing. BJ Ojulari could be the latest to join that group.
As a rookie in 2023, Ojulari showed massive upside and might have turned into a productive pass rusher had he stayed healthy the past two years. While the Cardinals gave up on him, a change of scenery in Jacksonville could help him enjoy a bit of a career revival.
If that's the outcome of the signing, Gladstone will deserve praise. If Ojulari doesn't pan out with the Jaguars, they can simply move on from him without much downside.
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