3 players the Jaguars will regret leaving off the 53-man roster in 2024

The Jacksonville Jaguars put the finishing touches on their initial 53-man roster for the 2024 NFL season. Like in every other year, there were a few surprises. One of them is that they held onto 11 defensive linemen, or as general manager Trent Baalke likes to call them, 21 bigs.

Head coach Doug Pederson said that it wasn't easy to choose the best 53 players but hopes to bring some of the ones they released back into the practice squad.

"It's never easy. You know? Pederson told the media after the cutdown deadline. "This is a tough day for all 32 clubs because you've invested so much time in these guys, in the development process. Like Trent said, it's not done. We'll get a chance, hopefully, to get some guys back on our practice roster, and keep improving the roster."

The Jaguars will indeed be able to bring back a few of the players they released once they clear waivers. But that's the thing, other clubs will waste no time putting a claim on them. This is why the team's brass could come to regret leaving these three off the roster.

Josiah Deguara, tight end

Like last year, the Jaguars decided to carry three tight ends. In fact, they were the same trio: Evan Engram, sophomore Brenton Strange, and Luke Farrell. This is understandable.

Engram is coming off a 114-catch season and is firmly entrenched as the starter. Luke Farrell has always been a dependable blocker, and Strange is set to make a leap in Year 2. With the trio in the fold, the front office felt no need to carry Josiah Deguara into 2024.

Back in 2022, Jacksonville depth four tight ends. The aforementioned Engram and Farrell, plus Dan Arnold and Chris Manhertz, so there's a precedent. Going back to Deguara, he's the kind of tight end who can block when called upon but also play anywhere across the line of scrimmage. He can even line up at tight end, which could've come in handy in red-zone situations.

Moreover, Deguara was set to make $1.29 million next season, so keeping him around wouldn't have been cost-prohibitive. Then again, releasing him only left $25,000 in dead money, so it's easy to see why the Jags chose to kick him to the curb.

DJ Coleman, edge rusher

The Jaguars chose to keep 11 defensive linemen. In the words of Trent Baalke, you can never have too many bigs, so it's fair to say that the defensive trenches will be a strength in terms of depth and talent last year. That said, their pass rush leaves a bit to be desired after trading Trevis Gipson to the Seattle Seahawks just before the cutdown deadline.

Right now, the only true edge rushers the Jaguars have are Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, and seventh-round pick Myles Cole. That's not a bad trio, all things considered, but the team would certainly benefit from having a deeper rotation. Tyler Lacy will probably get time on the edge but that may not be enough. That's why letting D.J. Coleman go was a tad puzzling.

Coleman, an undrafted free agent last year, spent his rookie season in the practice squad. He looked improved in the offseason, leading to praise from the coaching staff. The former Mizzou Tiger went on to play 75 defensive snaps in three preseason bouts, registering two total pressures and five tackles.

Teams looking for a pass rusher with upside won't hesitate to poach Coleman in the waiver wire.

Jalen Jackson, running back

The Jaguars have a well-rounded backfield. Trevis Etienne is set to have a breakout season behind a healthy offensive line. Tank Bigsby is also set to have a big impact while the always-reliable D'Ernest Johnson is back in the fold after signing a one-year deal in free agency. This made undrafted rookie Jalen Jackson a victim of the numbers game.

By all accounts, Jackson did everything he could and then some to earn a roster spot. He stepped up during fellow running back Keilan Robinson's absence in training camp. He then had a productive preseason, registering 18 carries for 78 yards and scoring a touchdown.

It's fair to say that the Jaguars will be fine without Jackson but he also flashed enough in the preseason to think that he would've had a positive impact in 2024 if he had stuck around.

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