Despite the 2019 draft being behind us, there is still a lot of work on the field that needs to be done before the Jacksonville Jaguars shape their roster into 53. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t begin to make early predictions on how things could shape up just to make things interesting.
Without seeing the Jags’ new additions take the field, here’s our first crack at predicting the Jags final roster starting with the offense, which should be much improved heading into the regular season:
Quarterbacks (3)
Nick Foles, Cody Kessler, Gardner Minshew
Foles will clearly start after receiving the highest free-agent contract in Jaguars history. As for the Jags’ No. 2 quarterback, it’s possible that we’ll see a battle behind Foles because Kessler didn’t exactly wow anyone during his run as a starter last season. However, he didn’t exactly have a good supporting cast either, so it’s hard to write him off.
As for Minshew, the Jags really liked his IQ during the draft process and if he plays remotely close to the level Kessler does, it could result in both making the team, or Minshew joining Foles as the roster’s only two quarterbacks.
Running backs (5)
Leonard Fournette, Alfred Blue, *Ryquell Armstead, Benny Cunningham, (FB) Dimitri Flowers
Fournette, despite not seeing eye-to-eye with the front office, will be given another chance it appears. After all, Coughlin drafted him as a first-round pick and trading him this early into his career might give off the wrong vibes about the front office.
Blue is the team’s most polished tailback, so at the moment, it’s hard to envision him not making the team. With Fournette’s injury history, it’s a given the Jags will keep Armstead, too, as he has the ability to be a workhorse back or No. 2 to Blue if the Jags find themselves without Fournette at any point.
Lastly, Cunningham is a player who could provide a change of pace, while Flowers could be used in the H-back role being that John DeFilippo will likely go without a “fullback” in his scheme. Flowers also could be an emergency tailback if the Jags find themselves in a crunch.
Tight end (3)
Geoff Swaim, *Josh Oliver, James O’Shaughnessy
Swaim probably will be the Jags’ main H-back, while Oliver will be the receiving threat. O’Shaughnessy is a guy who is a mix of the two, making him the perfect No. 3 for this situation.
Wide receivers (6)
Chris Conley, Marqise Lee, Dede Westbrook, DJ Chark, Keelan Cole, *Tyree Brady
Aside from Lee, who will miss at least half of the preseason, it appearsConley is the Jags’ most experienced receiver, so it’s a given he’ll be somewhere on top of the depth chart. He also is the most familiar with Foles and the scheme that will be used.
As for Lee, it’s possible he starts the regular season on injured reserve because a late preseason start would put him in a difficult situation heading into the regular season. Still, I have him making the opening roster for now, but he’ll be one to monitor.
Westbrook was the teams best receiver last season and very well could be their best this season, so he’s definitely a lock. As for Chark, he looked like a rookie in 2018, but he’s young and the team has big plans for him as a split-end it appears.
Lastly, Brady is a player who should’ve been drafted, and I could see him sticking to the roster. With Lee’s questionable health, it would be wise of the Jags to go into the regular season with an extra receiver as Brady can contribute on special teams if he’s not seeing the field as a receiver.
Offensive line (10)
Cam Robinson, Andrew Norwell, Brandon Linder, A.J. Cann, *Jawaan Taylor, Will Richardson, Tyler Shatley, Cedric Ogbuehi, Josh Wells, *Bunchy Stallings
The Jags could very well go into the season with 10 offensive linemen on the roster after witnessing a rash of injuries last season, and that’s what I see them doing for the moment.
Of course, the starting lineup will be Robinson, Norwell, Linder and Cann from the left tackle to right guard spots, while Richardson, Taylor and Ogbuehi will battle for the right tackle position. Ultimately, I think Taylor will win it, with the other two players making the team as backups.
Shatley and Wells are backups who’ve are versatile and have played a lot of games with the Jags, so they are likely to make the team, too. Stallings, who signed with the Jags as an undrafted free-agent this month, is a player I believe is better than both Shatley and Wells were when they made the team and could impress during the preseason.
