4 Jacksonville Jaguars who won’t make the 53-man roster in 2024

2. Yasir Abdullah, pass rusher

There was a lot to like about edge rusher Yasir Abdullah ahead of the 2023 draft, but his athleticism was probably his biggest strength. Then again, he had a handful of things going against him. In particular, he lacked the ideal height and weight to thrive in the NFL. Not surprisingly, he slid to the fifth round even though he posted 9.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and 14.5 tackles for a loss in his senior year at Louisville.

But despite his shortcomings, Abdullah was seen as a potential draft gem due to his outstanding athleticism and reaction skills. In Jacksonville, he competed for reps in training camp but he began the season buried on the depth chart, validating the concerns about his size. Stuck behind K'Lavon Chaisson, Abdullah played a measly 45 defensive snaps and logged just one combined tackle last year. On top of that, he was a healthy scratch in several games.

Chaisson is now gone but that doesn't mean Abdullah has a direct pass to the pass-rush rotation. The Jaguars signed Trevis Gipson in free agency. Gipson is a better-rounded player than Chaisson, and should see considerable playing time behind Trevon Walker and Josh Allen after spending an unremarkable season with the Tennessee Titans.

Another thing working against Abdullah is that the front office could add another pass rusher in the draft. If that's the case, he'll have an uphill battle to make the roster. But if that wasn't enough, Jacksonville will be switching to a 4-3 front under defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.

Given Abdullah's frame, he may have trouble making the adjustment to playing with his hand on the ground after rushing the quarterback from a standup position in Mike Caldwell's scheme last season.