The Jacksonville Jaguars have already started the process of tinkering with their roster after a disappointing end to the 2023 season. Three key defensive players — Folorunso Fatukasi, Rayshawn Jenkins, and Darious Williams — were let go, star pass rusher Josh Allen received the franchise tag, and three impending free agents — Ezra Cleveland, Jeremiah Ledbetter, and Daniel Thomas — were given new contracts.
But bigger transformations are coming in the next week. There are more than a dozen Jaguars players, including wide receiver Calvin Ridley, still set to hit the free agency market and Jacksonville is already considering some potential additions.
With free agency on the way and the 2024 NFL draft less than seven weeks away, what spots on the roster will the Jaguars be looking to upgrade?
Cornerback
Under contract in 2024:
Tyson Campbell
Montaric Brown
Christian Braswell
Gregory Junior
Erick Hallett II
Amani Oruwariye
Tevaughn Campbell
The Jaguars hope they have a cornerback for the future in Campbell, but it’s hard to feel too confident in any other player at the position. There are several late-round picks with developmental value and both Brown and Junior earned snaps in 2023, but it’s clear that work needs to be and will be done.
Wide receiver
Under contract in 2024:
Christian Kirk
Zay Jones
Parker Washington
Tim Jones
Elijah Cooks
Seth Williams
The biggest question for the Jaguars heading into free agency is whether or not the team will be able to retain Calvin Ridley. If they can, the receiver position isn’t fixed, but it’s much less dire. Without Ridley, there’s some serious work to be done.
Interior offensive line
Under contract in 2024:
Brandon Scherff
Ezra Cleveland
Luke Fortner
Cole Van Lanen
Darryl Williams
Keaton Sutherland
Chandler Brewer
It seems the Jaguars are sticking with Scherff and Cleveland as their starting guards, but neither choice is particularly inspiring. Depth behind that duo is lacking and Jacksonville clearly needs to add a player or two who are capable of providing an upgrade from Fortner at center.
Edge rusher
Under contract in 2024:
Josh Allen
Travon Walker
Yasir Abdullah
D.J. Coleman
The Jaguars have their starters in Allen and Walker, but 2023 was proof that depth was an issue. Despite getting 27.5 combined sacks from their starting duo, the Jaguars were near the bottom of the league in sacks (40) because no rotational player made much impact. Jacksonville will hope Abdullah, a 2023 fifth-rounder, makes a sophomore leap, but it’s a must for the Jaguars to find a player or two who can provide a rush when Allen and/or Walker take a breather.
Defensive line
Under contract in 2024:
Roy Robertson-Harris
DaVon Hamilton
Tyler Lacy
Adam Gotsis
Jeremiah Ledbetter
De’Shaan Dixon
Esezi Otomewo
With Hamilton struggling through a back problem much of the year, the Jaguars defensive line was very underwhelming in 2023. It never provided much of a pass rushing threat, and it struggled to stop the run late in the year. A healthy Hamilton in 2024 would help the group, but an infusion of talent up front would make a big difference too.
Offensive tackle
Under contract in 2024:
Cam Robinson
Anton Harrison
Walker Little
Cooper Hodges
It looks like the Jaguars solved one spot for the future by picking Harrison in the first round a year ago. The rest of the plan is a mystery, though. Robinson looks set to return as left tackle, which leaves Little in an awkward spot heading into a contract year. It’s also hard to say for now where Jacksonville envisions Hodges playing in the future if he eventually makes a push for a starting spot.
Running back
Under contract in 2024:
Travis Etienne Jr.
Tank Bigsby
Etienne is one of only five NFL running backs with at least 1,000 rushing yards in each of the last two seasons. The Jaguars don’t want him to continue to be their workhorse, though. Ideally for Jacksonville, Bigsby will be a more trustworthy player in 2024 after a rocky first season for the 2023 third-rounder. Either way, the Jaguars will want to add another player capable of taking snaps at the position.
Linebacker
Under contract in 2024:
Foye Oluokun
Devin Lloyd
Chad Muma
Ventrell Miller
Dequan Jackson
Oluokun, who will turn 29 in the summer, is entering a contract year. While the Jaguars have reason to be optimistic about the career trajectory of Lloyd, a 2022 first-round pick, the development of Muma has been sluggish and Miller missed his entire rookie year with an injury. Perhaps one or both of the latter duo will eventually show starter qualities, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Jaguars want to add more talent, regardless.
Tight end
Under contract in 2024:
Evan Engram
Brenton Strange
Luke Farrell
Josh Pederson
After signing an extension last offseason, Engram earned Pro Bowl honors in 2023 with the second most receptions (114) an NFL tight end has ever recorded in a season. Behind him, the Jaguars have seen Farrell develop into a relatively reliable backup and they’ll hope for better results moving forward from Strange, a 2023 second-round pick who underwhelmed as a rookie.
Safety
Under contract in 2024:
Andre Cisco
Antonio Johnson
Andrew Wingard
Daniel Thomas
Ayo Oyelola
Even after parting with Rayshawn Jenkins, the Jaguars should feel pretty good about the safety position. They have an ascending (albeit inconsistent) player in Cisco and they saw exciting flashes from Johnson in his rookie year. After a rough start early in his career, Wingard has developed into a reliable backup with special teams talent. It never hurts to add a defensive back, but safety probably won’t be a high priority.
Quarterback
Under contract in 2024:
Trevor Lawrence
C.J. Beathard
Lawrence is clearly the player the Jaguars plan to build around for the foreseeable future and the tail-end of the 2023 season brought abundant proof that they feel good about Beathard as their backup. Jacksonville will want to bring in a player or two at the position this offseason, but nobody should expect the top two spots on the depth chart to change in 2024.
