4 recent Jaguars draft picks with their roster spots under threat in 2023
• That could make a handful of recent draft picks expendable
The Jacksonville Jaguars are stacked at most position groups and that's a good thing from a depth perspective. If a starter goes down in the regular season * knocks on wood * the dropoff in play won't be that steep.
On the other hand, the surplus of talent could make it difficult for a handful of recent draft picks to secure a roster spot. In particular, these four players may not be around for the 2023 season opener.
No. 4 recent Jaguars draft pick at risk of losing his roster spot: Daniel Thomas, S
The Jaguars' safety room looks in good shape ahead of the 2023 season after allocating significant resources to the position over the last two years. Back in 2021, they signed Rayshawn Jenkins and drafted Andre Cisco in the third round. This year, they gave Andrew Wingard a long-term year and used a couple of draft picks on Antonio Johnson and Erick Hallet II.
Jenkins and Cisco are slated to start in the opener while Wingard will be No. 3 on the depth chart. Johnson and Hallet are work in progress but they both have flashed potential in free agency. While they need to keep making strides in the reason, there's a good chance both rookies will make the team. If they do, Daniel Thomas could be the odd man out.
A fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft, Thomas started two games as a rookie before an arm injury cut his season short. He also made two starts in 2021 but was mostly relegated to the bench last year. Thomas has been getting reps with the second team in training camp.
On top of that, the former Auburn Tiger is listed behind Cisco on the latest depth chart, so he might end up making the roster. Conversely, the team's brass could decide to get younger at safety and part ways with him after the preseason.