With the NFL season inching closer, the Jacksonville Jaguars — like any other team in the league — will need to trim down their roster to 53 players. It won't be an easy task though. They restocked most position groups in the offseason and they'll need to part ways with players they would probably keep if they weren't so stacked.
Working in the Jags' favor is that they still have a bit over a week to decide who will ultimately make the cut. WIth that in mind, here's a look at how their 53-man roster could potential look come Week 1.
Jaguars final 53-man roster projection for the 2023 NFL season: Special Teams
Following a strong finish to the 2022 season, it looked like Riley Patterson had secured a place on the roster. However, the Jags moved on from him and acquired Brandon McManus when the latter was released by the Denver Broncos.
Nobody will forget Patterson's game-winning field goal that got the Jags on top of the Los Angeles Chargers in Wild Card Weekend. But the truth is that he had a limited range, which is why Jacksonville often went for it on fourth down last year. Meanwhile, McManus has shown the ability to consistently nail 50+ yard kicks throughout his career.
While Patterson became a fan favorite, McManus brings stability and range to the kicker position. And aside from signing McManus, the Jags didn't make many changes to their special teams this offseason. Long snapper Ross Matiscik is currently out with a shoulder injury but head coach Doug Pederson told the media that he'll be fine and they're keeping him out as a precautionary measure.
.@rossmatiscik with the forced fumble! @objunior27 recovers.#JAXvsDAL on CBS pic.twitter.com/JbqXuO5nmP
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) August 12, 2023
Punter Logan Cooke is also back, so barring injury, don't expect the Jaguars to many any other changes to their special teams before the 2023 season.
Specialists (3): Brandon McManus (K), Ross Matiscik (LS), and Logan Cooke (P)
Jaguars final 53-man roster projection for the 2023 NFL season: The Defense
The Jaguars kept most of their defensive nucleus from last year together. Although they let defensive end Arden Key walk in free agency, they gave multi-year deals to Roy Robertson-Harris and defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton. On top of that, they brought Dawuane Smoot on a one-year deal despite the fact that he's still recovering from a torn Achilles he sustained near the end of the 2022 season.
So here's the thing: There won't be many staring jobs up for grabs but several players will try to either move up the depth chart or earn a roster spot. The game against the Miami Dolphins in the preseason finale will give them one last chance to make an impression.
One thing that could potentially affect how the 53-man roster looks in the opener is Hamilton's back injury. He's currently out and there's no timeline for his return. The fact that he's not been placed on the Injured Reserve list is a positive sign but the Jags will have to look for players to fill in for him during his absence.
Defensive linemen (7): DaVon Hamilton, Folorunso Fatukasi, Adam Gotsis, Roy Robertson-Harris, Tyler Lacy, Jeremiah Ledbetter, and Raymond Vohasek
Outside linebackers (5): Josh Allen, Travon Walker, Yasir Abdullah, K'Lavon Chaisson, Jordan Smith *
* Dawuane Smoot is still recovering from the torn Achilles, there's a strong chance he'll start the 2023 season on the PUP list and if that's the case, he won't be able to suit up until Week 6.
MIddle linebackers (4): Foyesade Oluokun, Devin Lloyd, Chad Muma, Ventrell Miller
Cornerbacks (5): Darious Williams, Tyson Campbell, Tre Herndon, Gregory Junior, Chris Claybrooks
Safety (5): Rayshawn Jenkins, Andre Cisco, Andrew Wingard, Erick Hallett II, Antonio Johnson
Jaguars final 53-man roster projection for the 2023 NFL Season: The Offense
In spite of all the injuries the Jaguars' offensive line has experienced over the last few weeks, they will probably have a logjam at several positions come roster cutdown day. Not only that, the team's brass will likely need to decide whether they'll give a spot to third-string quarterback Nathan Rourke, who's made the most of his preseason chances.
The issue with keeping Rourke around is that his spot could go to a player who could potentially contribute on special teams. Having said that, the Jags don't want to be in a position in which they have no options at quarterback because Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Beathard went down.
Think of carrying a third-quarterback into the season as having car or house insurance. The hope is that you won't ever need it but you still keep it in case the worst-case scenario unfolds. All things considered, would you like to have an extra cornerback that will contribute sparingly or insurance at quarterback?
Quarterbacks (3): Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Beathard, Nathan Rourke
Running backs (4): Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, D'Ernest Johnson, JaMycal Hasty
Wide receivers (5): Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Calvin Ridley, Jamal Agnew, Parker Washington
Tight ends (4): Evan Engram, Brenton Strange, Luke Farrell, Gerrit Prince
Offensive linemen (8): Anton Harrison, Ben Bartch, Luke Fortner, Brandon Scherff, Walker Little, Tyler Shatley, Cooper Hodges, Josh Wells.
The last two spots are in italics because Cooper Hodges and Wells are currently dealing with injuries. Hodges suffered a patella injury against the Lions while Wells hurt his abductor during joint practices in the days preceding the game.
It's also worth noting that Cam Robinson will serve a four-game suspension to start the 2023 season for violations to the league's PED policy. During that time, he won't count toward the 53-roster. However, the Jags will need to free up a spot once he's eligible to return.