The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the midst of Organized Team Activities, and we've already heard about a few guys who are carving out a larger role for themselves in 2026. However, the good news for some is actually bad news for others.
Some may call it being negative, but longtime pro football fans know that every franchise will need to cut a lot of players to reach the 53-player maximum limit. For the Jags, this means former members of the practice squad and experienced veterans who need a fresh start will be put on the chopping block sooner or later.
According to one Jaguars beat writer's analysis, there's one defender who's already looking like the odd man out in a room loaded with big-money cornerbacks, star-studded draft picks, and undrafted signings with a lot of upside.
Christian Braswell's final snaps with the Jacksonville Jaguars could be upon us
James Gladstone's focus on building from the ground up forces him to look at the bottom end of the roster more often than not. This means the less-covered members of the roster are often at risk of being traded, cut, or simply replaced once the final day of cutdowns arrives.
For Christian Braswell, that's bad news all around, as Jacksonville drafted and signed a lot of rookies who won't be challenging the top of the depth chart this year. As a result, the third-, fourth-, and fifth-string spots at various positions are up for grabs.
In an article identifying three Jags whose jobs are already on the line, Sports Illustrated's John Shipley wrote that, "Braswell has certainly not played poorly during the open OTA practices. Like DeeJay Dallas, he is an experienced veteran who has done everything he has been asked and then some since he joined the franchise. With that said, it is hard not to be impressed by some of the other performances at the cornerback position for the Jaguars' depth chart."
So, if we look at things through Shipley's lens, it seems like Braswell might not even have that much influence over whether he stays a Jaguar or not. Recent reports have already talked up two young studs who are challenging for a roster spot, and the fact that they both play cornerback all but confirms that they're coming after Braswell's.
Jabbar Muhammad already has a head start on the third-year veteran
Jabbar Muhammad had a chance to develop within the Jaguars' current framework after being placed on the team's practice squad after last year's offseason program. As an undrafted free agent coming out of Oregon, the 5'9" corner was a long shot to make the 53-man roster either way. However, draft analysts were so high on him as a prospect that they believed he was going to be a Day 3 draft pick.
In his explanation of why Braswell might not be a Jaguar for much longer, John Shipley highlighted that "[second-year] cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, an undrafted free agent a year ago, has been one of the true standout defenders of OTAs to this point and [happens] to be able to play a similar role as Braswell at nickel cornerback."
Shipley's analysis presents two problems for Braswell, as it insinuates that Muhammad could be a one-to-one replacement for the third-year pro as a slot defender. His take could turn out to be the truth, as a different report of his claimed that Muhammad has been all over the field during OTAs and even had two pass breakups during one of the practices.
However, before Muhammad's fans get too optimistic, I have to mention that the DeSoto, TX native didn't earn a single call-up during the 2025 season. That means we don't really know how his skill set translates to the NFL level just yet. Due to this, a new arrival from this year's UDFA class could steal a spot from both Braswell and Muhammad if they aren't careful.
Devon Marshall is a new name who's applying pressure on Braswell as well
One of the newest members of the Jaguars' DB room, Devon Marshall, has garnered attention from national outlets despite being an undrafted free agent. According to Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox, the NC State product has the best chance to make Jacksonville's roster out of all the free agents the team signed this offseason.
During his final season as a collegian, Marshall racked up 50 tackles, 16 pass breakups, and two picks. Standing at 5'11", he suffers from the same limitation as Jabbar Muhammad, as both corners are a bit on the shorter side. For reference's sake, Travis Hunter is 6'1".
While Christian Braswell is only 5'11" himself, he has more NFL film than both Muhammad and Marshall combined. His box score won't wow anybody, but the former sixth-round pick compiled three passes defensed and 11 solo tackles last year. Heading into his second year inside Anthony Campanile's system, there's a chance he could have the same kind of breakout campaign Montaric Brown did before he got his big $31.5 million contract.
Interestingly enough, the prospect of having to pay an underpinning player big money after one good season could be a trend the Jags want to keep from happening too often. After his bets against Brown, Travis Etienne, and Devin Lloyd went bust, I doubt James Gladstone would want to be pressed at the bargaining table by Braswell and his agent.
So, Marshall's upside and collegiate resume could give Jacksonville's front office the confidence they need to cut bait with Braswell. From the outside looking in, I don't see a reason why they shouldn't, but the offseason is still quite young.
Add us as a preferred source on Google