The Jacksonville Jaguars concluded training camp with their second joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But before they start preparing to face the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 of the regular season, they'll face the Bucs in the preseason finale.
Most roster spots are already locked up ahead of the game, so the coaching staff will hold out most, if not all, of the starters. That will give a handful of players one last chance to make an impression. These five, in particular, need to stand out if they want to stick around in Duval next season.
5 Jaguars who desperately need to show up vs. the Buccaneers
Joey Aguilar, quarterback
The Jaguars signed Joey Aguilar as an undrafted free agent. He flashed in training camp but also showed that he has a long way to go. He'll get ample playing time against the Bucs.
So far, Aguilar is 9-of-10 for 91 yards in the preseason. Then again, his statline is a bit inflated because of his 43-yard toss in Week 1. Either way, he'll have a chance to solidify a spot on the practice squad with a strong showing in the finale.
Jalen McLeod, linebacker
After missing his rookie season with an ankle injury, Jalen McLeod appeared to be poised to make a leap in Year 2. Although the former Auburn Tiger showed upside in the offseason program, he's also struggled to stay healthy, missing the first two preseason games.
McLeod is back at practice, so there's a strong chance he'll suit up for the finale. If he does, he'll need to convince the team's brass he deserves a roster spot.
J'Mari Taylor, running back
J'Mari Taylor was able to make noise in the offseason but wasn't able to carry momentum. While the undrafted rookie hasn't necessarily struggled in training camp, he hasn't stood out either. In fact, Ameer Abdullah has seemingly moved ahead of him on the depth chart.
Taylor was solid in the preseason opener, toting the rock 26 times for 81 yards, but his average of 3.1 yards per carry leaves a bit to be desired. He'll need to do better than that in the finale to have a shot at landing on the practice squad.
Christian Braswell, cornerback
Dating back to the offseason program, Christian Braswell is entangled with Jabbar Muhammad in a battle for the CB5 job. Muhammad was certainly the better of the two, but he mainly practiced with the second and third teams. Then, training camp came, and he was inconsistent.
On the other hand, Braswell was limited to start training camp but managed to play in both preseason games. However, he was unremarkable. If the former Rutgers Scarlet Knight wants to make the roster, he'll need to show out against Tampa Bay.
Hunter Long (and Quintin Morris), tight end
Brenton Strange is TE1, but rookies Tanner Koziol and Nate Boerkircher should also get lots of work next season. Those three are locks to make the team, but if the Jaguars want to keep four tight ends, the options are Quintin Morris and Hunter Long.
Morris seemed like a good bet to make the team early in the offseason but has failed to stand out in training camp. It didn't help that Jacksonville drafted Koziol and Boerkircher. On the other hand, Long hasn't fared much better.
Boerkircher and Kozoli will most likely sit out the finale, so both Long and Morris will have the chance to make one last impression before cutdown day.
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