The Jacksonville Jaguars set their 53-man roster Tuesday and finalized their 17-player practice squad Wednesday and Thursday.
While practice squad players aren’t eligible to play on Sundays unless they’re elevated to the active roster, keeping them gives the Jaguars a chance to develop a player or keep them in the building in the event that injuries open an opportunity.
Last season, the Jaguars got meaningful contributions out of defensive tackle Corey Peters, who spent time on the practice squad before moving up midseason. This year, Jacksonville has cornerback Gregory Junior on the active roster after giving the 2022 sixth-rounder a year to grow on the practice squad.
Here’s the Jaguars’ initial 2023 practice squad:
QB Nathan Rourke
Former CFL star Nathan Rourke made waves in preseason, but didn’t supplant C.J. Beathard as the Jaguars’ backup. He’s sticking around, though, as TSN’s Farhan Lalji reported that Rourke cleared waivers and will stay with the Jaguars.
DL De'Shaan Dixon
Dixon made the 53-man roster last year as an undrafted free agent, but transitioned from outside linebacker to defensive lineman earlier this year. While he’s dedicated to the switch, it didn’t come along fast enough to earn him a spot for a second season. Instead he’ll be sticking around on the practice squad, according to Matt Lombardo of FanBuzz.
TE Josh Pederson
The son of Doug Pederson didn’t have much of a shot at making the roster with several tight ends ahead of him on the depth chart. While he wasn’t one of the 13 announced signings Wednesday, the Jaguars made it official Thursday.
WR Jacob Harris
It seemed like the former Rams tight end/wide receiver was in the mix for a roster spot with the Jaguars. So it’s no surprise that he’ll be back on the practice squad, as reported by John Shipley of Jaguar Report.
OL Darryl Williams
Williams, who was listed as the second-team center during training camp and had a brief stint on the active roster last year, is sticking around on the practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston.
RB Snoop Conner
Conner, a 2022 fifth-round pick, couldn’t find room on the roster after the Jaguars added Tank Bigsby and D’Ernest Johnson in the offseason. According to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz, Conner had other offers, but decided to stay in Jacksonville by signing to the practice squad.
OL Chandler Brewer
The Jaguars announced Wednesday that they’ll keep the former Rams offensive lineman on the practice squad.
OLB D.J. Coleman
Coleman, an undrafted rookie pass rusher, will stick on the practice squad, the team announced.
CB Erick Hallett II
Hallett was the only one of the Jaguars’ three sixth-round picks who didn’t make the roster, but he cleared waivers and will stick on the practice squad, the team announced.
LB Dequan Jackson
Jackson, a Jacksonville-native, is still a member of the Jaguars and is on the practice squad, the team announced.
TE Derek Parish
The Jaguars drafted Parish in the seventh round and called him a fullback. While he played a little defense in preseason, the team signed him back to the practice squad and are now calling him a tight end.
WR Seth Williams
One of several pass catchers who was in the mix for a roster spot, Williams is still with the Jaguars on the practice squad, the team announced.
CB Tevaughn Campbell
The Jaguars signed Campbell off the Raiders’ practice squad a year ago. Now he’s headed to Jacksonville’s practice squad, the team announced Wednesday.
DE Esezi Otomewo
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Jaguars are expected to add former Vikings fifth-round pick Esezi Otomewo to the practice squad.
Otomewo, 24, is a 6’6, 285-pound defensive lineman who played in five regular season games last year during his rookie season in Minnesota. He tallied five tackles with one tackle for a loss.
DL Tommy Togiai
Former Browns defensive tackle Tommy Togiai, a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, decided to join the Jaguars practice squad after getting waived by Cleveland earlier this week. Still just 23, Togiai was DaVon Hamilton’s college teammate at Ohio State and played in 18 games over his first two seasons with the Browns.
S Ayo Oyelola
While NFL teams carry 16 players on their practice squad, the Jaguars are one of the teams that gets an exemption for a 17th player who came via the International Pathway Program. British safety Ayo Oyelola, who first joined the Jaguars in the 2022 offseason, will again fill that spot in 2023.
