Jaguar Report

Winners and Losers of Jaguars' Week 1 Roster

Who are the winners and losers of the Jacksonville Jaguars' 53-man roster?
Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone laughs during a press conference at Miller Electric Center Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone laughs during a press conference at Miller Electric Center Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The Jacksonville Jaguars have their roster locked and loaded for Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers.

When looking at the 53-man roster, who stands out as the biggest benefactors and who potentially got some bad news? We break down the winners and the losers below.

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Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen watches drills during the seventh organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Monday, June 2, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Winners

Trevor Lawrence

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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) takes command of a drill during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 18th and final training camp practice at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Wednesday August 20, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is a big winner from the 53-man roster simply because he now has the most complete receiver room of his career. The 2022 room lacked a game-changer, the 2023 room lacked consitency, the 2021 room was developmental league-level, and the 2024 room had zero depth. Now, Lawrence has a mix of veteran experience, youthful upside, size and speed.

James Gladstone

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Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manger James Gladstone speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One of the biggest winners of the first cut day of James Gladstone's career as a general manager was the first-year executive himself. He made a number of trades during training camp that bolstered key position groups such as defensive tackle and wide receiver, and his construction of the offensive line gave him the flexibility and ability to dump Fred Johnson for picks.

Losers

Rookie RBs

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Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) runs the ball during the 10th organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jaguars kept four running backs on their 53-man roster, which was always expected if they were unable to pull off a trade with one of their veteran running backs. But with four running backs on the roster, it now seems like a forgone conclusion that at least one of Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. will be inactive each week.

Trent Baalke

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Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke on the field during the second day of an NFL football training camp practice session Thursday, July 25, 2024 at EverBank StadiumÕs Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. | Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

Three of the players the Jaguars waived who were Trent Baalke draft picks got claimed, so it is not as if Baalke was a bad drafter and nothing else. But the Jaguars completely demolished key pieces of his 2022, 2023 and 2024 draft classes, signalling either that they were not fits or that his choices simply were not good enough.

Fans Wanting a Backup QB Change

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Aug 9, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; A Jacksonville Jaguars fan dances in the stands during a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Jaguars fans were frequently asking me via social media about a backup quarterback change and folks ... it was never happening. Nick Mullens was not signed to a multi-year deal because he is the most talented backup in the league. He knows the offense and can be a resource for Trevor Lawrence. If Lawrence goes down, nobody is saving them -- a lesson fans should have learned last season.

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John Shipley
JOHN SHIPLEY

John Shipley has been covering the Jacksonville Jaguars as a beat reporter and publisher of Jaguar Report since 2019. Previously, he covered UCF's undefeated season as a beat reporter for NSM.Today, covered high school prep sports in Central Florida, and covered local sports and news for the Palatka Daily News. Follow John Shipley on Twitter at @_john_shipley.

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