Jaguars fans should take the 1st unofficial depth chart of 2024 with a grain of salt

Days before their preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Jacksonville Jaguars unveiled their first unofficial depth chart of 2024. While fans can learn a few things from giving it a close look, they should, for the most part, keep in mind Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur's comments on the subject matter.

A few hours before the Jags released their first unofficial depth chart, LaFleur confided to the media that the Packers' communication department crafted theirs. It's fair to assume that Jacksonville did something similar, and head coach Doug Pederson was probably not consulted when they were putting together theirs. Here are LaFleur's comments about the Green Bay depth chart, via Aaron Nagler of CheeseheadTV.

Pederson may or may not reveal who's behind the Jacksonville depth chart but there are a few clues that point towards the team's communication department drawing it up. The biggest one is that Chad Muma sits above Devin Lloyd at both weak and strong linebacker spots.

Why would Muma start at two spots when Lloyd is the better player of the two? Moreover, the depth chart doesn't show that nickel is nowadays the team's "base defense." Last year, Jacksonville had a cornerback line up in the slot on 63 percent of their defensive snaps. That number won't probably change in 2024, meaning that Lloyd and Oluokun will be the starters while Muma will only see the field sporadically.

Another thing that stands out about the first unofficial depth chart is that Darnell Savage is the starter next to Andre Cisco at safety, and sophomore Antonio Johnson is the primary backup at the position. Although Savage has played mostly safety throughout his career, he'll tentatively line up at nickel in Jacksonville.

Another tell is that tight end Patrick Murtagh is still around even though his availability for the regular season is in question after suffering an ankle injury in training camp. Even though the team has not made an announcement, he's a candidate to start the regular season on the Injured Reserve list after undergoing successful surgery.

It's also worth noting that the same day they unveiled the depth chart, Jacksonville released defensive tackle Adam Gotsis, a long-time mainstay of their rotation, and cornerback Gregory Junior, who's struggled to stay healthy.

The Jaguars will work on the depth chart throughout the NFL preseason

With or without an unofficial depth chart, a few things are obvious. Trevor Lawrence is the unquestioned starter. Chad Muma and Darnell Savage notwithstanding the rest of their starting lineups on offense and defense look good. If anything the team's brass will have to sort out a few reserve roles.

Already, the Jaguars have crowned rookie Cam Little as the winner of their kicker competition. They'll next need to continue with the sixth and possibly seventh spots at wide receiver. They'll also need to take care of their cornerback group. The good news is that there should be a bit more clarity with Gregory Junior out of the mix. That said, the front office still has their work cut out. Beyond Ronald Darby, Tyson Campbell, and rookie Jarrian Jones, there's no clearcut order on the totem pole.

The Jaguars will also need to decide which defensive linemen they're going to keep. They have somewhat of a surplus even after moving on from Adam Gotsis. Arik Armstead, DaVon Hamilton, and Roy Robertson-Harris will be the top three guys in the rotation, but what about Maason Smith, Jordan Jefferson, sophomore Tyler Lacy, and veteran Jeremiah Ledbetter? Who'll make the cut? Who'll land in the waiver wire? That's what the preseason will be for.

Doug Pederson already announced that the starters will play one or two series. Once the second and third-stringers take the field, they'll need to prove they either deserve a roster spot or move up the depth chart.

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