![Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Quinn Ewers (10) warms up during an NFL Jaguars practice at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday September 2, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_321,y_78,w_1169,h_657/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ReutersImages/mmsport/55/01m1s1w7rrmk5bxk19gc.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Quinn Ewers (10) warms up during an NFL Jaguars practice at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday September 2, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]")
The Jacksonville Jaguars announced their official 53-man roster right after the cutdown deadline. Like in every other year, there were a few surprises.
For instance, undrafted rookie Bryan Thomas Jr. earned a spot after a strong preseason, but it was still uncertain if he would ultimately crack the team. He did. On the other hand, there were a few players who got the nod even though they appeared to be cut candidates at some point of training camp or the offseason.
With this in mind, here are five players who need to justify the team's faith in them.
5 players who need to justify the Jaguars' faith in them
Daniel Faalele, offensive guard
The Jaguars dealt with injuries on the offseason line during training camp. This prompted them to trade for Daniel Faalele. Although Faalele made 32 consecutive starts for the Baltimore Ravens the past two seasons, he wasn't particularly dominant and struggled to stand out with the New York Giants in the offseason. This is why the Giants had no trouble shipping him to Duval.
There's a chance Jacksonville will deal with injuries in the offensive trenches at some point in 2026. Faalele will need to come through if he's pressed into action. Perhaps a change of scenery will help him hit his stride.
Walker Little, offensive tackle
Early in the offseason, Walker Little appeared to be a cut candidate. He was coming off an underwhelming season. Couple that with the fact that the Jags could free up $12 million if they traded him, and it's easy to see why he could have changed teams. However, he surprisingly stuck again. Then again, Jacksonville needed insurance in case Cole Van Lanen wasn't ready for the season opener.
For context, Van Lanen suffered a knee injury late in 2025 and spent the offseason recovering. He was cleared to return to practice in training camp but had not practiced with the team as of this writing. His availability for the first couple weeks of the season is in doubt, paving the way for Little to show that last year was an outlier.
Quintin Morris, tight end
Due to roster needs, it was hard to tell how many tight ends the Jags would carry in 2026. If they kept only three, Brenton Strange, Tanner Koziol, and Nate Boerkircher were always going to get the nod. In the end, they chose four, which means that Quintin Morris also got the nod.
Morris carved out a niche as a blocker in 2025, but he's struggled to improve as a pass catcher. This led to questions about whether the former Bowling Green standout would make the team. He did.
Although Morris probably won't get much playing time next season, he'll need to make the most of his chances when he's on the football field.
Christian Braswell, cornerback
The Jaguars had lots of talent at cornerback in the offseason. With Jarrian Jones, Jourdan Lewis, Travis Hunter, and Montaric Brown in the mix, they only had one spot up for grabs. Christian Braswell competed with Jabbar Muhammad to earn it. Even though Muhammad seemed to be the favorite to get the CB5 job, Braswell ultimately came out on top.
The Jags went with Braswell's experience, which is understandable. It also helps that he can line up inside and outside. But barring injuries at cornerback, the former Rutgers Scarlett Knight won't get much playing time. Heck, he may even be inactive at times, so like Quintin Morris, he'll need to capitalize on the few opportunities he gets next season.
Quinn Ewers, quarterback
Of all the players on this list, Quinn Ewers may have the toughest time proving he deserved to make the 53-man roster. If Trevor Lawrence stays healthy, which is the expectation, Ewers will only see mop-up duty. Moreover, the former Texas Longhorn joined the team just two weeks before the regular season and made the cut over Nick Mullens and Carter Bradley.
Of course, the Jags traded for Ewers because they believe he's better than both Mullens and Bradley. But unless Lawrence misses time, he won't be able to do anything but to show progress in practice.
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