Overlooked Jaguars sophomore could be forcing his way into Jaguars roster plans

Early in the offseason, cornerback appears to be a roster void for the Jacksonville Jaguars. This mostly stemmed from the fact that Montaric Brown and Greg Newsome were scheduled to become free agents. While the latter bolted for the New York Giants, the former signed a three-year deal worth $31.5 million to stay in Duval. Coupled with the fact that Travis Hunter will tentatively play defense full-time in 2026, the position no longer appears to be a pressing need.

Heck, the cornerback could turn out to be a strength for the Jags, with Hunter, Montaric Brown, Jarrian Jones, and Jourdan Lewis in the mix. That said, there are still a few jobs up for grabs. Undrafted rookies Davon Marshall and Preston Hodge could make a push for a roster spot, but an overlooked sophomore could also force into the team's plans.

Jabbar Muhammad is stealing the spotlight at Jaguars OTAs

Jabbar Muhammad has gotten the spotlight throughout Organized Team Activities. John Shipley of Sports Illustrated included the sophomore cornerback in his standouts from Day 4, pointing out that he's been one of the most active cornerbacks on the field in the two practices the Jags opened to the media.

"It feels like Jabbar Muhammad is just a split second here and there away from picking off one of the Jaguars' backup quarterbacks," Shipley wrote. "He has been one of the most active cornerbacks on the field in each of the last two OTAs practices, as he has been one ot he more impressive second-year undrafted free agents as a result."

Shipley goes on to say that Muhammad is "quickly becoming a player to watch in the backup cornerback battles." But wait, there's more! Jaguars reporter Mia O'Brien also heaped praise on the former Oregon Duck, pointing out that he made the most of his time in the practice squad last year.

"Jabbar Muhammad, two pass breakups," O'Brian said on Locked On Jaguars when discussing which overlooked player could make a push for a roster spot (6:30 mark). "The second-year defensive back out of Oregon, undersized guy, played at Oregon and Washington, perhaps in the pre-draft process was dropped down a peg because of his size, someone who was in the quote unquote incubator of the Jaguars practice squad for a year."

When you add it all up, the consensus thinks Muhammad has a legitimate shot.

Jabbar Muhammad could force his way into the Jaguars 53-man roster

Jabbar Muhammad signed with the Jags last year after going undrafted. He ended up landing in the practice squad, and not once was he promoted to the active roster. Fast forward to 2025, and he'll have a favorable chance to crack the team, but it won't be a walk in the park.

It's hard to tell how many cornerbacks Jacksonville will carry next season, but it will probably be five or six. Four spots are virtually earmarked for Travis Hunter, Jarrian Jones, Jourdan Lewis, and Jarrian Jones. That potentially leaves one or two slots up for grabs, which means that Muhammad will need to hold off Preston Hodge, Davon Marshall, and fourth-year pro Christian Marshall. Based on the latest OTA reports, he may just be able to pull it off.

If Jabbar Muhammad ends up making the Jaguars 53-man roster, it will be because he will have made a huge leap, and you will be able to trace his journey back to OTAs.

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