The Jacksonville Jaguars raised the roster floor in free agency and will continue to make further upgrades in the NFL Draft. While that may or may not be enough to compete for the AFC South next season, it's certainly a step in the right direction.
After all, there's a new regime in place and many of the players it inherited will need to prove that they deserve to stick around. Conversely, a handful of returning players will see themselves affected because of the additions the Jags will be making throughout the offseason.
With this in mind, here are five players who are at risk of tumbling down the depth chart in 2025.
Gabe Davis, wide receiver
Originally, the Jaguars signed Gabe Davis to pair him up with Calvin Ridley. Things took a turn when Ridley left, but Brian Thomas Jr. turned out to be a pretty good replacement. Davis, on the other hand, failed to live up to expectations.
Having inked a three-year deal worth $39 million, the Fernandina Beach native was expected to give a big-play element to the offense but instead had one of the worst years of his career. Sure, the Jaguars playbook was unimaginative, but Thomas and Parker Washington still managed to thrive, so it's hard to justify Davis' lack of production.
Davis will get a clean slate under new head coach Liam Coen but will need to fend off newcomer Dyami Brown, who's capable of stretching the field. The former Buffalo Bill could take on a reserve role, but that's not what Jacksonville wanted him to be when it brought him in.
Antonio Johnson, safety
After a promising rookie campaign, Antonio Johnson seemed like an ascending star. Having slid to the fifth round after being expected to go in the first, the former Texas A&M Aggie found a home in the slot. However, he switched to safety — his natural position — and it didn't go well. At one point, he was benched and was on and off the starting lineup in 2024.
With the arrival of Eric Murray, Johnson appears to be the primary backup at safety. Then again, he may have to compete with Andrew Wingard (if he's around) or a rookie safety to keep his spot on the depth chart. He's certainly shown that he can play, but he'll need to prove himself to earn a role in Anthony Campanile's defense.
Devin Lloyd, linebacker
The Jaguars have devoted plenty of resources to their linebacker corps. Apart from signing Foyesade Oluokun in 2022 and later giving him an extension, they invested draft picks in Devin Lloyd, Chad Muma, and Ventrell Miller. Of the three, Lloyd has gotten the most playing time next to Foye, but that might've been in part by virtue of being a former first-round selection.
Drafted 27th overall in 2022, the former Utah Ute has excelled against the run the past three seasons but has been a liability in pass coverage. Meanwhile, Miller has thrived in that area, Lloyd will need to improve or else take a back seat to him.
It's also worth noting that the Jags have yet to pick up Lloyd's fifth-year option, and if he isn't part of their plans, they could end up rolling with Miller, who appears to be the better of the two.
Jordan Jefferson, defensive tackle
The Jaguars raised eyebrows in 2024 when they drafted Jordan Jefferson just two rounds after making fellow LSU alumni Maason Smith a second-round selection. It took them a bit, but both of them ended up hitting their stride.
While Smith finished the 2024 season strong, Jefferson also showed the capability to defend the run. Unfortunately, that may not be enough to keep his role in the defensive tackle rotation next season, especially if the team's brass drafts Mason Graham, and DaVon Hamilton stays.
Montaric Brown, cornerback
There's no doubt that Montaric Brown deserves praise for working his way up the depth chart since the Jags took him in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. That said, he's been inconsistent throughout his career, and the only reason the coaching staff turned to him when Ronald Darby got benched was because there was nobody else.
Darby is now gone, but Jourdan Lewis is in. Add the fact that sophomore Jarrian Jones and DeAntre Prince are in the mix, and Brown could find himself on the fringe unless he has a strong training camp.
Here are other Jaguars stories you may also like:
manual