The Jacksonville Jaguars appear set to start Jawaan Taylor at right tackle and Devin Lloyd at inside linebacker for a season opener against the Washington Commanders.
On Tuesday, four days ahead of the Week 1 kickoff in Washington, the Jaguars released their first official depth chart since cutting the roster down to 53 players. It shows Lloyd, Taylor, and Ben Bartch as starters.
#Jaguars official Week 1 Depth Chart lists…
– Jawaan Taylor as RT.
– Ben Bartch as LG.
– Devin Lloyd as starting ILB opposite Oluokon
– James Robinson or Travis Etienne at RB1 pic.twitter.com/jlEQL0dTn5
— Mia O'Brien (@MiaOBrienTV) September 6, 2022
On Monday, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson played coy about his Week 1 starting lineup, telling reporters that they may not find out the winners of a few positional battles until Sunday.
When asked in particular about a battle between third-round rookie Chad Muma and first-rounder Devin Lloyd, Pederson said practices ahead of the opener loomed large.
“I honestly don’t know because we’ve got to get through Wednesday and Thursday first, and I’ll have an answer for you later in the week,” Pederson said of the linebacker battle.
There have also been a couple battles on the offensive line with Ben Bartch and Tyler Shatley competing at left guard, as well as Walker Little and Taylor at right tackle. Pederson said the team already knows what the lineup looks like, but he wasn’t ready to reveal it to the public.
The depth chart release doesn’t necessarily mean Pederson won’t pull a fast one Sunday, but it does seem that the surprise may have been spoiled.