5 players who won't be on the Jaguars 53-man roster come Week 1
The Jags have lots of depth at most position groups heading into the 2023 season. This will make it difficult for these five players to make the 53-man roster.
You know an NFL has a pretty well-rounded roster when there are lots of talks about which players in the lower half of the depth chart should or shouldn't make the cut. In the case of the Jacksonville Jaguars, they'll have to make some though decisions come cutdown day.
While there are a handful of players that simply aren't good enough to earn a roster spot, there are a few others who will be victim of the numbers game. With this in mind, here are five Jaguars players who won't be on the roster come Week 1.
No. 5 player who won't be on the Jaguars roster come Week 1: Josh Pederson, TE
Nepotism has a bad rep. It's understandable that some people will sometimes pick relatives or friends over more qualified candidates. But if you had connections, why wouldn't you want to use it? It's no coincidence that tight end Josh Pederson signed with the Jaguars. In case his last name doesn't ring any bells, he's the son of head coach Doug Pederson, who pulled the string behind the scenes to get his son a spot on the roster.
There isn't anything inherently wrong with Pederson giving his son a chance. You could even make the case he's deserving of a chance to earn a roster spot, having spent time with the San Francisco 49ers, the New Orleans Saints, and the Kansas City Chiefs. On top of that, he suited up for the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League before signing with the Jags in July.
So what has Pederson done with his chance? Not much. The fact is that he was a long shot to make the team and given how stacked the Jacksonville tight end room is, Pederson looks like a candidate to get his walking papers on cutdown day.
Simply, it's hard to see Pederson making the cut over more deserving players, such as Gerrit Prince, who's moved his way up the depth chart after a productive offseason.