Jaguars' 53-man depth chart projection after the 2023 NFL Draft
The Jacksonville Jaguars front office likely had its fun making 13 draft picks over the weekend in the 2023 NFL Draft. That fun might last for a while during the offseason and even deep into training camp. as the heavy rookie class competes for a chance to make the Jaguars' roster. But it will likely come to […]
The Jacksonville Jaguars front office likely had its fun making 13 draft picks over the weekend in the 2023 NFL Draft. That fun might last for a while during the offseason and even deep into training camp. as the heavy rookie class competes for a chance to make the Jaguars' roster.
But it will likely come to an end come the always-dreaded cutdown day. Fitting 13 draft picks into a 53-man roster is a daunting task. But in my way-too-early roster projection, the Jags kept all of their selections for one simple reason: The defense has a lot of worrisome voids. A lot. But now we up the stakes: How will the rookies fit into the depth chart? Is any of them up for a starting role? And where is first-round draft pick OT Anton Harrison playing?
Let's dive into my Jaguars' projected 53-man depth chart as things stand right now based on my way-too-early roster projection. Note: Players with one asterisk (*) represent 2023 draft picks and players with double asterisks (**) represent 2023 undrafted free agents.
| Position | Starter(s) | Backups |
|---|---|---|
Quarterback | Trevor Lawrence | C.J. Beathard |
Running Back | Travis Etienne | Tank Bigsby*, D’Ernest Johnson, Derek Parish (FB)* |
Wide Receiver | Calvin Ridley Christian Kirk Zay Jones | Jamal Agnew, Parker Washington* |
Tight End | Evan Engram | Brenton Strangre*, Luke Farrell, Gerrit Prince |
Offensive Line | Walker Little Ben Bartch Luke Fortner Brandon Scherff Anton Harrison* | Blake Hance, Cooper Hodges*, Tyler Shatley, Josh Wells |
Defensive Line | Ray Robertson-Harris DaVon Hamilton Folorunso Fatukasi | Adam Gotsis, Tyler Lacy*, Raymond Vohasek* |
Outside Linebacker | Travon Walker Josh Allen | K’Lavon Chaisson, De’Shaan Dixon |
Inside Linebacker | Foyesade Oluokun Devin Lloyd | Chad Muma, Yasir Abdullah*, Ventrell Miller* |
Cornerback | Tyson Campbell Darious Williams Tre Herndon | Chris Claybrooks, Chirstian Braswell*, Erick Hallett II* |
Safety | Andre Cisco Rayshawn Jenkins | Antonio Johnson*, Daniel Thomas, Andrew Wingard |
Kicker | Riley Patterson | |
Punter | Logan Cooke | |
Long Snapper | Ross Matiscik |
The Jaguars have officially said Harrison is starting his preparation at right tackle even though left tackle Cam Robinson is facing a likely suspension (hence his absence in this projection) to start the season. That makes sense given how well Walker Little played on the left side when called upon last season.
Rookies Tank Bigsby (RB) and Brenton Strange (TE) are both likely to earn the No. 2 role at their respective positions. But Bigsby in particular faces solid competition as Johnson is battle-tested in the NFL and Hasty had over 40 rush attempts for the Jags last year.
On defense, one of the most intriguing positions has to be linebacker. Over the last couple of years, the team has drafted four linebackers. And yet the team has two other guys who played over 60% of the defensive snaps last year (neither on this projection). It's a crowded room and there could be a surprise cut there. However, I think the starters are pretty set with Lloyd and Oluokun.
