The Jacksonville Jaguars were operating with limited cap space in the offseason but they did a good job of keeping last year's core together. Although they weren't able to bring back all their free agents -- right tackle Jawaan Taylor and defensive end Arden Key signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans, respectively -- they managed to players that filled in key roles in 2022.
Heading into training camp, the Jags won't have many starting jobs open for competition but there are a handful of positions that will make for intriguing battles in the summer. In particular, these five will be worth monitoring:
No. 5 Jaguars intriguing position battle: Parker Washington vs. Tim Jones
The Jaguars have a talented wide receiver trio in Zay Jones, Christian Kirk, and Calvin Ridley. If needed, Jamal Agnew can also play a few snaps on offense but the Jags need a No. 5 that can come onto the football field and make a few plays if needed.
Tim Jones solidified a spot on the 53-man roster after an outstanding preseason performance. However, once the regular season began, he went missing, finishing the year with three receptions for 30 yards and no touchdowns on four targets.
You could make the case that the Jags simply didn't have enough targets for everyone last year but if the coaching staff had trusted Jones more, they would have found ways to get him involved on offense. Next, Jones will have to fend off rookie Parker Washington in training camp.
Washington is projected to line up in the slot and under the tutelage of Christian Kirk, he should be able to make a positive impression in training camp. Of course, he'll need to beat Jones if he wants to get on the field next season.
No. 4 Jaguars intriguing position battle: K'Lavon Chaisson vs. Yasir Abdullah
The Jaguars couldn't make a splash signing in free agency but still managed to fortify their defensive front in the offseason. While going after someone like defensive end Javon Hargrave would have been great, the team's brass opted to add depth to the front seven.
Many of the newcomers -- rookie Tyler Lacy, Henry Mondeaux and Michael Dogbe -- could be part of the defensive line rotation. Conversely, they could land on the practice squad an hone their skills. On the other hand, first-year pass rusher Yasir Abdullah could get significant playing time right off the bat.
Although Abdullah will need to bulk up and gain strength to succeed in the pros, he's got the skills to develop into an effective pass rusher in Jacksonville. But before he can be thrust into duty, he'll need to compete with former first-round pick K'Lavon Chaisson for playing time.
Sophomore De'Shaan Dixon, an undrafted free agent last year, could also be in the mix, but the spot behind Travon Walker and Josh Allen might come down to either Chaisson or Abdullah.
Chaisson was the 20th overall pick in the 2020 draft but hasn't done much to live up to expectations over the last three years. The former LSU Tiger has progressively seen his playing time decrease and might be running out of time in Jacksonville. In a not-surprising development, the Jags opted to decline the fifth-year option in his rookie year, so Chaisson is basically entering a sink-or-swim kind of situation in 2023.
So far, he's done anything to make you believe he can beat Abdullah but a potential breakout campaign should be ruled out, even if the chances of happening are slim.
No. 3 Jaguars intriguing position battle: Tre Herndon vs. young CBs
This might feel like a headline out of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World but instead of investing an early-round pick to round out their starting cornerback group, the Jags are counting on veteran Tre Herndon to line up in the slot come Week 1.
An undrafted free agent in 2019, Herndon worked his way up the depth chart and went on to start several games in Jacksonville. The Vanderbilt product dealt with injuries in 2021 and didn't get nearly as much playing time as in previous seasons but the top brass liked him enough to bring him back on a one-year deal.
Herndon struggled at times in 2022 but he's got the flexibility to play inside or in the boundaries, so it's easy to see why Jacksonville again brought him back. Having said that, the Jaguars could use an upgrade at nickel, and they'll let their young group of cornerbacks compete for playing time in the upcoming months.
2023 sixth-round pick Christian Braswell is already lining up in the slot in Jaguars rookie minicamp but undrafted free agent Kabel Hayes could also be in the mix. Sophomores Gregory Junior and Montaric Brown will also need to show they've made strides or else run the risk of being left behind.
Doug Pederson told the media ahead of minicamp that he likes competition and while there's plenty of time left before the regular season commences, the team needs one of their young corners to step up.
No. 2 Jaguars intriguing position battle: D'Ernest Johnson vs. Tank Bigsby
Most (if not all) of the battles the Jaguars will hold in training camp will be for backup roles but many of those players could end up seeing the field often in 2023. Moreover, it's a good thing to have depth, as clubs have no control over injuries but they can prepare for them by having good depth.
Travis Etienne showed in 2022 he can be a three-down back after missing his rookie campaign with a Lisfranc injury. In fact, James Robinson began last season as the starter but Etienne progressively got more playing time and made him expendable.
Etienne will now enter the 2023 season as the starter but other running backs on the roster could get a big workload. Snoop Conner seemed poised to be RB3 last year before JaMycal Hasty was claimed off of waivers. With Hasty stepping into the backup role once Robinson was shipped to the New York Jets, Conners saw a bit of playing time.
However, Conner might find himself on the roster bubble in the upcoming months due to a couple of additions Jacksonville made in the offseason. First, they signed D'Ernest Johnson, who is a more dynamic and versatile runner than Hasty. The Jags then drafted Tank Bigsby in the third round and he'll be given a chance to compete for some carries.
At the time, it was a bit surprising to see the Jags go with Bigsby but if they drafted him, it's because he has a realistic shot at beating Johnson and Hasty. Bigsby was a bell-cow at Auburn and he could be a change-of-pace back behind Etienne next season.
No. 1 Jaguars intriguing position battle: Devin Lloyd vs. Chad Muma
Here's one position the Jaguars didn't need to address in the draft but still did by taking Ventrell Miller in the fourth round. Miller is still recovering from a foot surgery he underwent in December but the Jaguars can afford to bring him back slowly due to how stacked their linebacker corps is. As a matter of fact, it wouldn't be shocking to see the former Florida Gator begin the season in the practice squad. That's how crowded the position currently is.
The Jags gave Foyesade Oluokun a three-year contract worth $45 million and he quickly became a staple of their defense. But Oluokun wasn't the only addition the top brass made to the linebacker corps. They also drafted Devin Lloyd in the first round and because one rookie linebacker wasn't enough, they also took Chad Muma in the third.
Oluokun, who registered 100+ total tackles for the second straight season, will be on the starting lineup come Week 1 but the spot next to him is yet to be determined. Lloyd could be given a chance to earn it by virtue of being a former first-round pick. However, Muma flashes starting potential and would deserve the starting job if he outperforms Lloyd.
For context, Lloyd was a Week 1 starter last year even though he missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury. He got off to a hot start, registering two interceptions and six passes defensed in the first three weeks. However, he then began to struggle and was eventually benched in favor of Muma, who showed poise once the game slowed down for him.
Lloyd eventually returned to the starting lineup but that's because Muma got hurt. Now, they'll each have the chance to make the case why they should start next to Oluokun in 2023.