The Jacksonville Jaguars should be able to load up on talent and address all their position needs in the 2023 NFL Draft. But to make room for the new batch, they will need to part ways with a handful of players that were on the roster last season.
This is the harsh reality of the NFL though. While the likes of Trevor Lawrence or Calvin Ridley don't have to worry about their job security, there are other players who have to constantly prove themselves, and even if they give their 100 percent, it isn't always enough.
Having said that, it's better to move on from players early in the offseason, so they can have a higher chance of finding a new team. With that in mind, here are five Jaguars that could be released after the 2023 draft.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars player who could be cut after the draft: Cole Van Lanen
The Jags traded a seventh-round pick for offensive line Cole Van Lanen before the start of the 2022 season because they didn't want to run the risk of losing him in the waive wire. A sixth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2021, the former Wisconsin Badger spent most of his rookie season in the practice squad.
Van Lanen was a victim of the numbers game in Green Bay last year, as the Packers used three picks on offensive linemen. Even if he had made the roster, the wouldn't have gotten much playing time. In Jacskonville, he ended up appearing in 16 games and playing 18 offensive snaps. The Wisconsin native signed the exclusive tender to return to Jacksonville but Jacksonville could create $940,000 in space with no dead money if they move on from him.
All things considered, Van Lanen could still develop into a solid backup in the NFL but his days in Jacksonville might be numbered if the Jags draft one (or two) offensive linemen.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars player who could be cut after the draft: Tevaughn Campbell
Cornerback remains one of the Jaguars' biggest needs ahead of the 2023 draft but they aren't completely devoid of talent at the position. Besides having a reliable starting duo in Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams, they have a dependable backup in Tre Herndon, who signed a one-year deal in free agency to return to Jacksonville. Similarly, Chris Claybrooks, a seventh-round pick in 2020, has carved a niche on special teams and can start a few games if needed.
Moreover, the Jags drafted Gregory Junior and Montaric Brown in back-to-back rounds last year. While both of them are still developing, they could end up becoming solid depth pieces or steady contributors on special teams. Either way, the team's brass seems to be high on both of them, which doesn't bode well for Tevaughn Campbell, who might have a hard time making the team in 2023.
The Jaguars poached Campbell from the Las Vegas Raiders' practice squad last year and brought him back on a one-year deal earlier in the offseason. However, he might have a steep hill to climb to crack the roster.
After going undrafted in 2019, Campbell signed with the New York Jets but was waived later that year. He then joined the Los Angeles, where he spent two seasons before he was released before the start of the 2022 season. He then landed on the Raiders before he was claimed by the Jags.
Although Campbell could provide depth, releasing him would create $840,000 in cap space with just $100,000 in dead money. Given how tight the Jaguars' budget is, it wouldn't be shocking to see him part ways with him.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars player who could be cut after the draft: Tyree Gillespie
You could argue that the Jaguars' starting safety duo of Andre Cisco and Rayshawn Jenkins exceeded expectations last year. Andre Cisco put on display last year the playmaking skills that made him a mainstay at Syracuse after spending most of his rookie season on the bench, while Rayshawn Jenkins had a bounce-back season after failing to make an impact in 2021.
The Jaguars also have a solid No. 3 safety in Andrew Wingard, who inked a three-year deal and will try to help Jacksonville finish what they started last year. Their fourth safety on the depth chart, Daniel Thomas, has become a key contributor on special teams and can come off the bench and play if called upon.
Given how stacked the Jaguars are at safety, Tyree Gillespie might have a hard time sticking around. A fourth-round draft pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, the former Mizzou Tiger was traded to the Tennesse Titans before the start of the 2022 season and was waived not long after.
Gillespie then signed with the Jags but was inactive for several games and mostly saw time on special teams. He's got a steep hill to climb to make the 53-man roster and might not remain on the team much longer if Jacksonville uses a late-round pick on a safety. The fact that cutting ties with him would free up $940,000 with no dead money makes him a potential candidate to get the boot.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars player who could be cut after the draft: Snoop Conner
General manager Trent Baalke isn't afraid to pull the plug on players just one year after drafting them. Last year, the Jags waived defensive tackle Jay Tufele even though he had been a fourth-round pick in 2021. Tufele latched onto the Cincinnati Bengals and became in important piece of their defensive line rotation.
Maybe Baalke wouldn't have released Tufele if he knew he was going to become a solid role player, maybe not. But he didn't hesitate to move on from a player he had drafted the year before and running back Snoop Conner could be next on the chopping block.
A fifth-round pick in last year's draft, the former Ole Miss competed with Ryquell Armstead for the No. 3 job behind James Robinson and Travis Etienne. Conner ultimately cracked the 53-man roster but before he could uncork the champagne, the team's brass signed JaMycal Hasty.
Conner was a healthy scratch early in the 2022 season and only got playing time when Jacksonville traded James Robinson to the New York Jets. Even then, his workload was limited to just 12 carries for 42 yards with one touchdown in eight games.
The Jaguars brought back Hasty on a two-year deal in the offseason and later inked former Cleveland Browns running back D'Ernest Johnson, who has a realistic shot at becoming the primary backup behind Etienne. If Hasty is the No. 3 running back on the Jags' depth chart, Conner could be on the outside looking in.
Despite the fact that releasing Conner would create $244,701 in dead money, the Jaguars could save $706,866 if they released him. If they think they've seen enough, it wouldn't make sense to keep him around, so pulling the plug on him might be the best course of action.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars player who could be cut after the draft: K'Lavon Chaisson
The end of the road in Jacksonville seems near for outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson, the 20th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Even though the player known as Swiper has been granted several opportunities over the last three years, he has not been able to seize them.
The trades of Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue before the start of the 2020 season paved the way for Chaisson to make an impact but he was mostly a non-factor in his rookie season, registering a measly one sack an 19 total tackles in 16 games with three starts. You could make the case that the Jaguars had no talent on their defensive front that year, which put additional pressure on the former LSU Tiger to deliver but things weren't much different in his sophomore campaign.
Chaisson was moved to strong linebacker in 2021. This made sense at the time when you consider that he was at his best when he rushed the quarterback from a standup position. Unfortunately, he once again failed to make an impact and was even placed on the trade block before the deadline.
Even though Chaisson remained in Jacksonville for the remainder of the 2021 season, he didn't contribute much and finished the year with one sack, and 31 total tackles in 15 games with eight starts.
Chaisson said last year that the arrival of Travon Walker, the first overall selection, had lit a fire on him but once again, he didn't do much of note and the fact that he missed time with a meniscus injury didn't help his case.
The Jaguars have until May 1 to activate Chaisson's fifth-year option on his rookie deal but based on how things have played out, it's hard to see them picking it up. As a matter of fact, don't be surprised if they managed to trade him before or during the draft.
The one thing that might help Chaisson stay in Jacksonville is that he will count $4.246 million against the cap whether he plays for the Jags in 2023 or not. Then again, if they think that he won't turn their corner, the team's brass might be ready to cut their losses and move on.