On Sunday we gave our super-early projections for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 53-man roster on offense, and now it’s time to do the same for their defense and special teams. Of course, with the addition of several rookies through the draft, there will be some additions and also some subtractions with several veterans/young players being on the bubble. That said, without seeing the team take the field yet, here is an early guess of how we could see the roster shaking out for now:
Defensive line (8)
Yannick Ngakoue, Marcell Dareus, Taven Bryan, Calais Campbell, *Josh Allen, Abry Jones, Dawuane Smoot, *Dontavius Russell
Ngakoue and rookie first-round pick Josh Allen, of course, will solely stick to pass rushing duties on the edge for the Jags this season. Campbell will see some time there, too, while kicking in on late downs to keep offenses on their toes.
Dareus will undoubtedly be the team’s starting nose tackle, while Jones, who can play some three-technique, too, will be his backup at the position. If he isn’t starting to some capacity, Bryan will see an increased role in the interior after getting some experience during his rookie season. Lastly, Smoot and Russell could fill out the last spots in the Jags’ rotation.
Linebacker (6)
Telvin Smith, Myles Jack, Jake Ryan, *Quincy Willams, Leon Jacobs, Blair Brown, Lerentee McCray
It’s possible the Jags may look to move to a hybrid 3-4, however, they should still predominantly be a 4-3 team, which means they could go light at the linebacker position. Although Smith has yet to contact the Jags, I believe he’ll be on the team in 2019 with Jack and one more player like Jacobs starting with the two.
Ryan could also see time as a starter in the middle as he’d allow Jack to play on the strongside in a 4-3 alignment, and would give the Jags a second interior linebacker in a 3-4 alignment. As for Williams, Brown, and McCray, all would be solid special teams contributors who could enter the defensive lineup as temporary starters if needed.
Safety (4)
Jarrod Wilson, Ronnie Harrison, *Zedrick Woods, Cody Davis
The Jags brought back Wilson this January as he was scheduled to be a restricted free agent, and it appears they wanted him to be a starter all along. He’s a favorite of the staff and will take Tashaun Gipson’s spot in the lineup, while Ronnie Harrison will fill the role of Barry Church.
Woods, who signed with the Jags as an undrafted rookie this month, offers the defense a speedy backup with 4.2 speed who could also help out on special teams. Davis, the most experienced safety in the group, should also be back after seeing time on defense and special teams over the past two seasons.
Cornerback (5)
Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, D.J. Hayden, Quenton Meeks, Tre Hendon
Simply put, Bouye and Ramsey are regarded as the best cornerback tandem in football and will look to bounce back from a 2019 campaign that wasn’t as good as their 2018 run. Hayden was a pleasant surprise at the nickelback position last season as he balled out after receiving a big contract in free-agency.
Lastly, Meeks and Herndon, who both were undrafted rookies in 2018, flashed throughout the season. With a year of experience under their belts now and great upside, I believe they could emerge as the No. 4 and No. 5 cornerbacks despite the position being crowded on the back end.
Specialist teams (3)
(LS) Matt Overton, (K) Josh Lambo and (P) Logan Cooke
The Jags brought back Matt Overton to replace Carson Tinker, who had been the team’s longtime long snapper, but had trouble staying healthy over the past few years. They also gave Lambo a new contract that guarantees $6.5 million, so it’s a given he’ll make the team, too, as he’s established himself as a reliable kicker in the league. As for Cooke, he had a decent rookie season in 2018 and will look to continue his growth in 2019.
