![Jaguars head coach Liam Coen coaches during the Jaguars’ fourth OTA of the year, Monday June 1, 2026 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_1261,y_231,w_1047,h_588/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/55/01ktm4t3qbymdvyr9x6c.jpg "Jaguars head coach Liam Coen coaches during the Jaguars’ fourth OTA of the year, Monday June 1, 2026 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]")
The Jacksonville Jaguars have spent the past two seasons making upgrades to the roster. While they still have a handful of roster voids, they have enviable depth at several position groups. That will come in handy in case the injury bug strikes. On the other hand, it leaves a tough path for several players to make the team.
Granted, there's still plenty of time before cutdown days, so everyone will get a chance to boost their respective stock. However, these five players are already feeling the heat with Organized Team Activities underway.
Jerome Carvin, Jaguars offensive guard
The only prominent addition the Jaguars made to the offensive line in 2026 was Emmanuel Pregnon at No. 88 in the NFL Draft. This is understandable when you take into account that they brought back all their starters from last year. Couple that with the presence of sophomores Wyatt Milum and Jonah Monheim, and Jerome Carvin will have a steep hill to climb to earn a roster spot.
Carvin spent the 2024 season on the Jacksonville practice squad. He bolted for the rival Houston Texans last year but eventually returned to the Jags. The organization liked him enough that it signed him to a future/reserve contract early in 2025. However, he's currently stuck behind the newly acquired Garrett DiGorgio and Ricky Lee, who may have better odds of making the team.
Yasir Abdullah, Jaguars linebacker
Yasir Abdullah was a highly productive pass rusher at Louisville, but he didn't have the size to successfully get after the quarterback at the NFL level, so he switched to linebacker.
The move paid off, as Abdullah became a valuable contributor on special teams. However, he's facing fierce competition to stick around in 2026. Ventrell Miller and Foyesade Oluokun are locks to crack the team. The same is true for sophomore Jack Kiser and veteran Dennis Gardeck. That leaves Branson Combs, rookie Parker Hughes, and Abdulah competing for a roster spot.
Hughes has upside, and the coaching staff likes Branson Combs. That could make it difficult for Abdullah to make the cut.
Keni-H Lovely, Jaguars cornerback
The Jaguars currently have a logjam at cornerback. While they let Greg Newsome walk in free agency, they re-signed Montaric Brown. He'll start opposite Travis Hunter next season. Jarrian Jones and Jourdan Lewis will mostly line up in the slot, but they could also play in the boundaries if needed. That's four spots that are pretty much earmarked.
Jabbar Muhammad is making a bid for the CB5 job, and either Davon Marshall or fellow rookie Preston Hodge could earn a roster spot. That could leave Keni-H Lovely out of the picture.
Lovely landed with the Jaguars during the preseason last year. At this point, landing on the practice squad for the second season in a row may be his best bet.
Tim Jones, Jaguars receiver
The Jaguars have enviable depth at receiver, even though Travis Hunter will tentatively have a bigger role at corner. With Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington and rookies CJ Williams and Josh Cameron in the mix, this could be Jones' last season in Duval.
Jones landed with the Jags in 2021, spent his rookie season on the practice squad, and made the 53-man roster the following year. The former Southern Miss Golden Eagle also earned a roster spot in 2023 and 2024. He briefly left for the Minnesota Vikings last year before returning to Jacksonville.
With Williams and Cameron lurking around, Jones may not stay in Duval unless he turns it up a notch in training camp.
Ameer Abdullah, Jaguars running back
By now, you may have noticed a trend. Several players who may otherwise have a good chance to crack the team will probably be victims of the numbers game because the Jaguars have plenty of depth at their respective positions. That's the case of Ameer Abdullah, a dependable pass-catcher out of the backfield and steady contributor on special teams.
However, Abdullah faces stiff competition, as he currently finds himself behind Bhayshul Tuten, LeQuint Allen Jr., Chris Rodriguez, J'Mari Taylor, and DeeJay Dallas.
Best-case scenario, Abdullah will be RB4. For that to happen, he'll need to outshine Dallas and Taylor in training camp. That said, the practice squad may be a more realistic scenario.
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