The Jacksonville Jaguars will bring most of their starting lineup from last year in 2023, so there won't be many open jobs. Having said that, they added depth to nearly every position group in the offseason, so there will be several players vying for a roster spot in training camp.
Conversely, there are a handful of players that will need to shine during the team's Organized Team Activities if they want to avoid tumbling down on the depth chart. Here are five of them.
5. Jaguars player who must shine in OTAs: Jordan Smith, Edge
You knew the Jaguars liked edge rusher Jordan Smith when they moved up nine spots to take him in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. However, once it was time to show what he got, the former UAB Blazer disappeared.
Smith was a healthy scratch through his rookie campaign, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Players' readiness is always variable and some need more time than others to develop, which is why Smith seemed to be in a favorable position to hit his stride last offseason but he suffered a knee injury that forced him to miss the rest of the year.
Ready to pick up where he left off, Smith was practicing with a brace in OTAs. Head coach Doug Pederson expects him to be part of the Jaguars' pass rush rotation in 2023 but he'll need to compete with former first-round pick K'Lavon Chaisson and rookie Yasir Abdullah for playing time. That's why he must make a strong impression in the upcoming days.
4. Jaguars player who must shine in OTAs: Gerrit Prince, TE
Out of all the position groups on the Jaguars' roster, tight end is set to be the one that will experience the most turnover next season even though they managed to bring back Evan Engram on the franchise tag. Gone are Chris Manhertz and Dan Arnold, who signed with the Denver Broncos and the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency, respectively. To replace them, the team's brass selected Brenton Strange in the second round of this year's draft and later signed the intriguing Sammis Reyes.
Engram is firmly entrenched at the top of the depth chart. Luke Farrell will probably enter training camp as TE2 while the Jaguars let Strange work his way up. Similarly, Reyes will be given a chance to put his athleticism on display, which potentially leaves 2022 undrafted free agent Gerrit Prince as the odd man out.
Prince hauled in 36 receptions for 699 yards with 10 touchdowns in his last season at UBA. However, he needed to work on his route running and pass-blocking skills, which is why he didn't get his name called in last year's draft. Nevertheless, his size — he's 6'5 and 241 pounds — made him an interesting developmental project.
In the end, Prince spent his rookie campaign in the Jaguars' practice squad. He seemed poise to make strides in 2023 but the arrival of Strange and Reyes have made things a bit murkier for him.
Prince has a chance to make the 53-man roster but it will be no walk in the park. It's up to him to show he's improved since last year.
3. Jaguars player who must shine in OTAs: Tevaughn Campbell, CB
The Jaguars hit it out of the ballpark with Tyson Campbell in Round 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft. Although he got off to a rough start in his rookie campaign, he increasingly got better as the season progressed. Having one spot in the perimeter locked down, the Jags signed Darious Williams last year.
While Williams started the 2022 season in the slot, he eventually moved to the boundaries, where he proved to be a better fit. The Jaguars then plugged in Tre Herndon at nickel and that's where he'll tentatively play in 2023.
Having identified their starting trio for the regular season, the Jaguars will need some sort out the rest of their cornerback depth chart. Sophomores Gregory Junior and Montaric Brown hardly played last year but they will try to gain ground in graining camp. Rookie Christian Braswell should also be in the mix. He has lined up inside and outside and could earn a roster spot if he develops into a core contributor on special teams.
There's also 2020 seventh-round pick Chris Claybrooks, who faced vandalism and domestic assault and vandalism charges for an incident involving his partner earlier this year. Working in his favor is that he reached a settlement and won't be persecuted. Nevertheless, the Jags could still decide to cut him and create a bit over $1 million in space if they're looking for cap relief.
This leaves Tevaughn Campbell as a potential victim of the numbers game. After spending the first two years of his NFL career with the Los Angeles Chargers, he was waived before the start of the 2022 season and promptly picked up by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Campbell ended up not suiting up for the Raiders and was once again released. He was then picked up by the Jags and went on to play 31 defensive snaps last year. Given how stacked Jacksonville is at cornerback, it won't be shocking if they choose to cut ties with Campbell.
2. Jaguars player who must shine in OTAs: Daniel Thomas, S
There's no way to sugarcoat this. The Jaguars were devoid of talent in 2020 but that's not earth-shattering news. Within a span of two years, then-general manager Dave Caldwell proceeded to ship most of the team's difference-makers, including but not limited to cornerback Jalen Ramsey, defensive end Calais Campbell, cornerback A.J. Bouye, defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and even running back Leonard Fournette, who was released only because the Jags couldn't find a trade partner.
Without any difference-makers on the roster, the Jaguars had to resort to the bottom of the roster to find players to suit up. Then-rookie Daniel Thomas was one of them. The former Auburn Tiger was given a chance when injuries struck the secondary. Surprisingly, he fared well.
Even though it was a small sample, Thomas flashed potential in two starts. However, an arm injury put an end to his season and he wasn't able to gain momentum since then. Over the last two years, he's only made two starts and he's been mostly relegated to special teams.
Due to the arrival of rookies Erick Hallett II and Antonio Johnson, Thomas could find himself on the roster bubble ahead of training camp. And barring an outstanding display, he might not make the 53-man roster in 2023.
1. Jaguars player who must shine in OTAs: Cole Van Lanen, OL
You have probably heard or read that offensive line is the Jaguars' biggest question mark ahead of the 2023 season and that's partially true given the turnover the unit has undergone and the availability of left guard Ben Bartch for training camp.
Bartch may or may not be ready for training camp after suffering a knee injury last year. If he isn't good to go, Tyler Shatley can take his spot in the starting lineup. Shatley has made 30 starts on the interior offensive line over the last three years, so the Jags shouldn't miss a beat.
If Shatley does line up at left guard, Cole Van Lanen, a sixth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2021, might then become the top backup at the position. After the Packers drafted three offensive linemen last year, Van Lanen became a victim of the numbers game. The Jaguars, needing to add depth on the interior offensive line, traded for him before the start of the 2022 season.
Van Lanen ended up playing just 18 offensive snaps and will need to watch out for rookie Cooper Hodges, who will be given a chance to compete for a roster spot in training camp. While Hodges has a long way to go, Van Lanen will also need to prove that he can be trusted into action if the injuries struck the interior offensive line.
One thing that could ultimately help Van Lanen (and Hodges) earn a roster spot is that the Jaguars aren't particularly depth on the offensive line isn't currently great. Either way, Van Lanen will need to make an impression in the upcoming months if he wants to make the team.