The Jacksonville Jaguars trimmed their roster to 53 players on Tuesday and did some roster tweaks Thursday, but the team hasn’t released a depth chart ahead of a Week 1 game against the Indianapolis Colts next week.
Most of it isn’t too difficult to figure out, though.
With the Jaguars’ 2023 regular season just about a week away from getting started, here’s our projection of what the starting lineup will look like and which players are first in line for backup duties:
Quarterback
- Trevor Lawrence
- C.J. Beathard
There won’t be any quarterback controversy — at least not at the top of the depth chart — in Jacksonville anytime soon. Lawrence, 23, will be the starter for the foreseeable future.
Beathard’s job as the backup doesn’t seem to be in danger either. The Jaguars like him as the No. 2 and his contract runs through the end of the 2024 season.
Running back
- Travis Etienne Jr.
- Tank Bigsby (rookie)
- D’Ernest Johnson
- JaMycal Hasty
Etienne secured his spot at No. 1 last season when he supplanted James Robinson, and it didn’t take long for third-round rookie Bigsby to lock up No. 2.
The question in August was whether it’d be Johnson or Hasty at No. 3. While the latter held down the spot on the training camp depth chart, it was Johnson who got the second-team snaps in the preseason finale and appears set to be the third back.
Wide receiver
- Calvin Ridley
- Christian Kirk
- Zay Jones
- Jamal Agnew
- Tim Jones
- Elijah Cooks (rookie)
- Parker Washington (rookie)
Kirk and Zay Jones were the starting duo a year ago, but the introduction of Ridley — a true No. 1 with the potential to be a top 10 player at his position — pushes them down to Nos. 2 and 3.
Agnew and Tim Jones are returning vets who will likely get the nod over the pair of rookies in the receiving corps. Cooks showed much more in preseason than Washington and looks like the first-year player more capable of making an immediate impact.
Tight end
- Evan Engram
- Luke Farrell
- Brenton Strange (rookie)
Engram received an extension in the offseason that made him one of the highest paid tight end in the NFL and ensures he’ll be No. 1 on the depth chart for a while.
It’s a tough call for No. 2, though. Farrell has made steady improvements and showed a lot with the first-team offense in preseason. But the Jaguars won’t wait long to make Strange, a second-round rookie, a significant part of the offense.
Offensive line
Left tackle:
- Walker Little
- Blake Hance
Left guard:
- Ben Bartch
- Tyler Shatley
Center:
- Luke Fortner
- Tyler Shatley
Right guard:
- Brandon Scherff
- Tyler Shatley
Right tackle:
- Anton Harrison
- Cole Van Lanen
The starting lineup of Little, Bartch, Fortner, Scherff, Harrison is pretty obvious — at least, while Cam Robinson is serving a four-game suspension.
The backup situation … well, it’s a little goofy.
Jacksonville values versatility among its linemen and have that in their three reserves: Shatley, Hance, and Van Lanen. All three have played multiple positions and the Jaguars could slot each of them in just about anywhere.
Defensive line
Defensive end:
- Roy Robertson-Harris
- Adam Gotsis
- Jeremiah Ledbetter
- Tyler Lacy (rookie)
Defensive tackle:
- Folorunso Fatukasi
- Angelo Blackson
DaVon Hamilton, who landed on injured reserve Thursday, and Raymond Vohasek, who was waived Tuesday, were the only nose tackles on the depth chart at the end of preseason.
With those two out of action, the most logical solution is for Fatukasi to take over in the middle with Robertson-Harris and Gotsis starting on each side.
Outside linebacker
- Josh Allen (WILL)
- Travon Walker (SAM)
- K’Lavon Chaisson
- Yasir Abdullah (rookie)
Outside linebacker isn’t hard to figure out with two top 10 draft picks in the starting lineup.
Jaguars coaches have been very clear that Chaisson will be the third pass rusher in 2023, and that leaves fifth-round rookie Abdullah as the fourth option.
Inside linebacker
- Foye Oluokun
- Devin Lloyd
- Chad Muma
- Shaquille Quarterman
- Caleb Johnson
The Jaguars have high hopes for the starting duo of Oluokun and Lloyd, and they have a solid backup in 2022 third-rounder Muma.
With rookie Ventrell Miller on injured reserve, it’s Quarterman at No. 4 with Johnson, primarily a special teamer, unlikely to see much time, if any, on defense.
Cornerback
- Tyson Campbell
- Darious Williams
- Tre Herndon III
- Gregory Junior
- Montaric Brown
- Christian Braswell (rookie)
The Jaguars discovered during the 2022 season that Williams is much more suited for playing outside than in the slot. That solved two problems because the team also found Herndon thrived inside.
Junior’s impressive camp and preseason should make him the Jaguars’ top option as a dime corner, while Brown is probably better suited to be a backup on the outside.
Safety
Strong safety:
- Rayshawn Jenkins
- Andrew Wingard
Free safety:
- Andre Cisco
- Daniel Thomas
- Antonio Johnson (rookie)
Jenkins and Cisco were the starting duo last year and they will be again in 2023.
You should still expect to see Wingard get snaps, though, as he’s developed into a handy Swiss Army knife for the Jaguars secondary. It may not be long until the team starts using Johnson, a versatile fifth-round pick, in a similar do-everything role as well.
Special teams
Kicker: Brandon McManus
Punter: Logan Cooke
Long snapper: Ross Matiscik
Kick returner:
- Jamal Agnew
- Parker Washington
Punt returner:
- Jamal Agnew
- Parker Washington
There is no mystery for any of the special teams positions, and there hasn’t been since May when McManus took over kicking duties from Riley Patterson.
