Jaguars: Biggest winners and losers following 2023 NFL Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars are about to have a significant shake-up this offseason. That's what happens when you draft 13 players in a single year. After all, doesn't a 53-man roster count with only… well, 53 players? If you round it up, that's literally a quarter of your full roster! Assuming every draft pick makes the […]

Mauricio Rodriguez Dallas Cowboys News Writer
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Jacksonville Jaguars
Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Unio / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Jacksonville Jaguars are about to have a significant shake-up this offseason. That's what happens when you draft 13 players in a single year. After all, doesn't a 53-man roster count with only… well, 53 players?

If you round it up, that's literally a quarter of your full roster! Assuming every draft pick makes the team, the front office would change 25% of the squad. You can check out my way-too-early roster projection right here but in this article, we're doing something different.

We're looking at the biggest winners and biggest losers of the Jaguars' 2023 NFL Draft class. Let's dive in.

Winner: QB Trevor Lawrence

Lawrence has to feel like a spoiled kid on Christmas Day right before unwrapping not one, nor two, but three brand-new gifts. The Jaguars used their first three draft picks on offensive players despite concerns surrounding the state of the defense. Many assumed the team's focus would be on defense yet the team stuck true to its board and ended up bolstering their strength.

A first-round offensive tackle (at the perfect moment considering Cam Robinson's suspension), a running back, and a tight end will go a long way in giving the offense more weapons and Lawrence more help. 

Winner: TE Evan Engram

Many will disagree with this one because the Jaguars literally drafted a second-round tight end. But hear me out. Brenton Strange and Engram are two completely different players. In a draft class loaded with TEs (six were picked within the first two rounds), the team didn't end up with one that could be seen as a direct replacement for Engram. 

Since he lines up as a slot receiver very often (280 snaps in 2022 vs. 403 in-line snaps), Engram is more of a receiver in the Jaguars' offense. Strange can come in and be more of an in-line guy. He primarily played the H-back position at Penn State and that's how he best projects to the NFL. Both guys will complement each other more than compete against them. 

Winner: EDGE K'Lavon Chaisson

Chaisson has been put on blast by the Jaguars. The franchise didn't pick up his fifth-year option which means 2023 is a contract year for the former first-round draft pick. That's bad news for the guy who has struggled to meet expectations with three career sacks under his belt.

But he can be considered a winner since the team didn't draft one of the top edge rushers of the class. The closest to it might've been LB Yasir Abdullah, who was a stand-up rusher at Louisville but many see him as an off-ball LB at the next level. Jaguars are expected to use him both ways. In other words, Chaisson is going to get his shot at playing time. The real question is what he'll do with it. 

Loser: RB D'Ernest Johnson

Johnson had the inside track to the RB2 job after being signed in free agency. However, that might've changed the moment the Jaguars turned Tank Bigsby's card in during the third round. The running back out of Auburn is a legit weapon and he has what it takes to beat out the veteran.

The backup job to Travis Etienne should make for one of the most fun roster battles during the offseason for the Jaguars. 

Loser(s): LB Caleb Johnson and Shaquille Quarterman

The toughest position to project going into the 2023 NFL season has to be linebacker. The Jaguars have drafted two linebackers in each of the last two years. Devin Lloyd, Chad Muma, Ventrell Miller, and Yasir Abdullah are all likely to make the team based on the fact that they were recently drafted within the first five rounds of their respective drafts. Add to that that Foyesade Oluokun should be starting next year, too.

That has to mean bad news to Johnson and Quarterman, the two linebackers that led the entire team in special teams snaps. As tough as it is to assume they'll be out of a job, the Jags might've forced the situation by adding so many young linebackers.

Loser: Cam Robinson

This is an obvious one but it's still true. Robinson is expected to be suspended to start the season and the Jaguars are well-equipped to potentially move on. Walker Little played surprisingly well when asked to play left tackle late last season. 

Robinson can still be a significant contributor but after picking Anton Harrison in the first, he surely doesn't appear an indispensable member of the team.