The draft is a week away for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the team’s roster doesn’t look much different than it did when they were playing the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs three months ago.
The team only tinkered in free agency, making a few cheap additions to shore up depth.
Most consequential were the losses of offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor and pass rusher Arden Key, but neither departure left a massive hole for the Jaguars to fill.
These are the positions that are the most important for the Jaguars to address next week:
1
Cornerback
The Jaguars have a rising star on their hands in Tyson Campbell and they found a reliable second option in free agency last year by signing Darious Williams. The rest of the depth chart is lacking, though.
Tre Herndon III has proven a capable player in a pinch and the Jaguars have 2022 draft picks Montaric Brown and Gregory Junior.
Jacksonville will likely want to invest at the position and perhaps find its long-term starter opposite Campbell.
2
Pass rusher
The good news: the Jaguars have a starting duo in place with top 10 draft picks Travon Walker and Josh Allen.
The bad news: Allen is entering the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, no Jacksonville player — including Allen or Walker — has reached eight sacks since the 2019 season, and both Arden Key and Dawuane Smoot were allowed to reach free agency.
Jacksonville was 26th in sacks during the 2022 season and there’s not much talent on the depth chart after Walker and Allen.
Regardless if Allen gets an extension or Smoot is brought back, the Jaguars need to give their pass rush a boost.
3
Tight end
The Jaguars struck gold last year when they signed Evan Engram on a prove-it deal. They’ve since franchised the former first-round pick after he broke franchise records in 2022 and the team will spend this summer trying to hammer out a long-term deal with the veteran before the July deadline.
But after Engram, the cupboard is pretty bare at the position.
Chris Manhertz and Dan Arnold both reached free agency and the only other tight ends left on the roster are 2021 fifth-rounder Luke Farrell and 2022 undrafted pickup Gerrit Prince. Farrell has 11 receptions in two NFL seasons and Prince has yet to see the field.
Positional value may mean tight end isn’t viewed as a top priority, but the Jaguars could certainly use another, especially if that addition has some run blocking prowess.
4
Offensive line
The loss of Jawaan Taylor in free agency should be offset by 2021 second-round pick Walker Little taking over a starting role. Subsequently, depth at tackle was addressed with the return of Josh Wells.
Still, neither Tyler Shatley nor Ben Bartch are particularly inspiring options at left guard, Little is an inexperience right tackle, and Cam Robinson hasn’t always been a reliable blindside protector.
Continuing to protect Trevor Lawrence and free up space for Travis Etienne Jr. is going to be a good idea for the foreseeable future.
5
Wide receiver
The addition of Calvin Ridley to the Jaguars offense drops receiver on their list of priorities, but it’s still a position that could use an upgrade.
The Jaguars have three solid options in Ridley, Christian Kirk, and Zay Jones, as well as speedy returner Jamal Agnew. There’s very little after that quartet, though, and not much in terms of size.
6
Defensive line
The Jaguars have a solid trio up front on defense in Roy Robertson-Harris, DaVon Hamilton, and Folorunso Fatukasi. None of those three players are irreplaceable stars, though.
There’s no backup on the roster for Hamilton if the nose tackle goes down, and the Jaguars defense would be much better if it found a way to generate interior pressure.
7
Running back
The emergence of Travis Etienne Jr. during the 2022 season was inspiring enough to the Jaguars that they dealt James Robinson to the Jets for a Day 3 pick during the season.
But even after Etienne finished his de facto rookie season with 1,441 yards from scrimmage, running back has been on the Jaguars’ to-do list. The team signed D’Ernest Johnson, brought back JaMycal Hasty, and has 2022 fifth-rounder Snoop Conner.
Still, Jacksonville has brought in a handful of backs for pre-draft visits.
8
Safety
The Jaguars have their starting duo on Andre Cisco and Rayshawn Jenkins, and also have a reliable backup with special teams value in Andrew Wingard.
While the Jaguars could reasonably find an upgrade for any one of those players, it’s far from the top priority.
9
Linebacker
Jacksonville double-dipped at linebacker during the 2022 draft when it picked Devin Lloyd in the first round and Chad Muma in the third.
Both players got starting experience during their rookie seasons alongside Foye Oluokun, the back-to-back NFL tackles leader. There’s also depth in place with Shaq Quarterman and Caleb Johnson.
10
Quarterback
After decades of trying to find a quarterback, the Jaguars finally have one in Trevor Lawrence.
The backup job will likely go to the winner of a competition between veteran C.J. Beathard and former Canadian Football League star Nathan Rourke. But that’s a battle Jacksonville probably feels comfortable enough with to let the depth chart stand as is.
