Jaguars early 53-man roster projection as the Travis Hunter era begins

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the midst of a new era, one that started the moment they cleaned house to pave the way for head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone. Together, the duo has looked for ways to improve the roster and steer the ship in the right direction as quickly as possible. Five months into the job, it's fair to say that they've done a pretty good job.

After addressing several needs in free agency, the Jags raised the roster ceiling in the NFL Draft by adding intangible-rich players. They made several intriguing picks, but the one that stands out the most is two-way star Travis Hunter.

The Jaguars originally held the No. 5 pick, are were seemingly zeroing in on running back Ashton Jeanty. However, speculation ramped up one day before the draft that they were planning to make a bold move. The noise only increased as Day 1 approached. And what began as speculation turned out to become reality when Jacksonville traded up to select the 2024 Heisman Trophy.

In Gladstone's own words, the Jags have a player with the potential to alter the spot. Of course, he needs to prove himself in the NFL, but they believe he can pull it off. Otherwise, they wouldn't have made such an aggressive effort to move up for him. That said, he's not the only player who will make an impact in 2025.

In fact, Jacksonville already had a talented core in place. It just needed to add key reinforcements in the draft, which is precisely what it did. With that in mind, here's a look at how the initial 53-man roster could look come Week 1 of the regular season.

Projected offense heading into the Jaguars offseason program (23 players)

Quarterbacks (2): Trevor Lawrence, Nick Mullens

Trevor Lawrence is firmly entrenched behind center, and Nick Mullens is set to be the primary backup. It's hard to see the Jags carrying three quarterbacks into the offseason. Sure, they signed Seth Henigan, but he's at best practice camp fodder. Barring injury to either Lawrence or Mullens * knocks on wood *, don't expect to see many changes at quarterback.

Running backs (3): Tank Bigsby, Bhayshul Tuten, LeQuint Allen

This is one of the groups that will undergo significant turnover under the new regime. While Travis Etienne remains in the mix, don't be surprised if the Jaguars move on from him to pave the way for rookies Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen. The former will be a nice complement behind Tank Bigsby, and the latter will carve a niche as a third-down back who can block and catch in obvious passing situations.

If the Jags trade Etienne but find themselves needing a running back, they can easily dip their toes in the free agent market.

Wide receivers (5): Travis Hunter, Dyami Brown, Brian Thomas Jr., Gabe Davis, Parker Washington

With the arrival of Travis Hunter, it's easy to forget that Brian Thomas Jr. is the team's bonafide No. 1. The duo will complement each other nicely and will help Dyami Brown find more favorable matchups. Parker Washington will replace Christian Kirk in the slot, and Gabe Davis will be No. 5 on the depth chart.

If an undrafted rookie makes an impression in training camp, though, expect Davis to get the boot.

Tigth ends (3): Brenton Strange, Hunter Long, Johnny Mundt

With the departure of Evan Engram, Brenton Strange is at the top of the depth chart. By not adding a premier free agent or investing an early pick in the position, the Jags showed confidence in Strange's ability to take on a feature role after flashing last year.

Mundt and Long are capable, albeit unspectacular backups that will fare well if Strange has to take his breath or misses a couple games.

Offensive linemen (10): Walker Little, Patrick Mekari, Robert Hainsey, Wyatt Milum, Anton Harrison, Johna Monheim, Fred Johnson, Ezra Cleveland, Cole Van Lanen, and Chuma Edogba

The Jaguars prioritized beefing up the offensive trenches in the offseason. Back in free agency, they inked Robert Hainsey and Patrick Mekari to start at center and one guard spot, respectively. They also brought in Chuma Edoga and Fred Johnson to add depth across the line of scrimmage.

Then in the draft, the front office took Wyatt Milum and Jonah Monehim. The former will vie for a starting job and the latter will compete for the backup spot behind Heinsay. Walker Little and Anton Harrison will be the only returning starters from last year.

Projected defense ahead of the Jaguars offseason program (27 players)

Defensive line (10): Arik Armstead, Maason Smith, DaVon Hamilton, Jordan Jefferson, Travon Walker, Josh Hines-Allen, Emmanuel Ogbah, Myles Cole, Jalen McLeod, Tyler Lacy

Aside from signing Emmanuel Ogbah after the draft, the Jags might not have made any notable additions to the defensive trenches because they believe their current group can deliver.

It's worth noting that Arik Armstead will switch back to defensive tackle after mostly playing on the edge last season. Ogbah will be the No. 3 pass rusher the Jags have sorely needed behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen.

Linebackers (5): Devin Lloyd, Foyesade Oluokun, Ventrell Miller, Chad Muma, Jack Kiser

The Jags could easily move on from Devin Lloyd if he isn't part of their long-term plans. That said, holding onto him would make sense from a depth perspective, especially if the coaching staff doesn't want to thrust Jack Kiser into action before he's ready. On top of that, there's also a chance the 2022 first-round pick will at last put it all together.

Either way, expect Lloyd to compete with Ventrell Miller for the starting job next to Foyesade Oluokun.

Cornerbacks (6): Jourdan Lewis, Jarrian Jones, Tyson Campbell, DeAntre Prince, Montaric Brown, and Christian Braswell

For the sake of transparency, Travis Hunter isn't counted here because he's listed as a receiver. Sure, he'll play both ways but will only take up one roster spot. With that out of the way, the Jaguars appear to be high on the starting trio of Tyson Campbell, Jarrian Jones, and Jourdan Lewis.

Montaric Brown, Christian Braswell, and DeAntre Prince will return as the backups. And if the group struggles as a hole, it will become a priority for the front office next year.

Safeties (6): Andrew Wingard, Darnell Savage, Eric Murray, Antonio Johnson, Caleb Ransaw, Rayuan Lane

The Jaguars' safety room is a "Jack of All Trades but Master of None." They have lots of serviceable contributors sprinkled with a handful of players with upside. Eric Murray and Darnell Savage will tentatively be the Day 1 starters, but nobody will bat an eye if they're phased out in favor of rookie Caleb Ransaw or third-year pro Antonio Johnson.

Wingard could be on the outside looking in: He or special-teams contributor Daniel Thomas could end up being victims of the numbers game.

Projected special teams ahead of the Jaguars offseason program

Special teams (3): Cam Little, Logan Cooke, Ross Matiscik

The one area the Jaguars didn't have to address this offseason was the special teams. All three specialist performed at a high level at their respective positions last year. In particular, Cam Little stood out because he put an end to the revolving door the team had at kicker for several years.