3 Roster Strategies That Could Define the Jaguars' Season

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Each offseason shows the early glimmers of direction each NFL team is taking for the upcoming season, but we do not really know how committed each team is to their path until the rosters are cut down to 53.

With the Jaguars and general manager James Gladstone making several tough decisions to get the Jaguars down to 53 players this week, the Jaguars had to take the most official and important steps yet to shape their 2026 squad.

So, which roster strategies did the Jaguars and Gladstone deploy over the course of a busy week that will define the season? We break it down below.

The LB Strategy

campanil — Jacksonville Jaguars Defensive Coordinator Anthony Campanile talks with the media after the second day of NFL Training Camp at the Miller Electric Center on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The biggest roster hole arguably facing the Jaguars this entire offseason was at linebacker, sparked by the departure of second-team All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd. The Jaguars had a similar departure at running back with Travis Etienne, but the difference is the Jaguars had an exciting second-year player (Bhayshul Tuten) and a free agent addition (Chris Rodriguez Jr.) to replace him. There were no such players ready or moves made at the linebacker position next to Foyesade Oluokun.

The Jaguars do have fourth-year linebacker Ventrell Miller, who has started a handful of games the last two seasons, and second-year linebacker Branson Combs, who made the roster after an impressive spring and summer a year after spending his rookie year mostly on the practice squad as an undrafted free agent. But neither was a new addition or has much of a sample size at the position.

To add to the question, the Jaguars only kept five total linebackers on their roster including Miller and Combs. One of those linebackers, Dennis Gardeck, is more of an on-ball linebacker type than a true middle or weak side linebacker, which really leaves the Jaguars with just four off-ball linebackers. The lack of a big swing at the linebacker position very well might greatly influence whether Anthony Campanile's unit can turn in a second productive season.

Faith in Young Pass-Rushers

The best story of training camp came in the form of undrafted rookie defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr., who was the third undrafted defensive end to make the team in the last two seasons. Add in fourth-rounder Wesley Williams and four of the Jaguars' six rostered defensive ends are first- or second-year players. If Zach Durfee joins the roster from IR eventually, then that will make it five first- or second-year pass-rushers on the depth chart.

The Jaguars are trusting their young pass-rush depth to be ready behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen and, to a lesser extent, Dennis Gardeck. This is a shift from a year ago when the Jaguars' top backups to start the year were experienced veterans like Dawuane Smoot and Emmanuel Ogbah, but it is the path the Jaguars have deemed the one worth taking entering 2026.

"It's not a position that typically lends itself to undrafted college free agents making it on initial 53-man rosters or be performing in games through that," Gladstone stated on Tuesday. "So, yeah, to have that happen back-to-back cycles is unique. I've got to give a ton of credit to our coaches and scouts who are paired together in that process and executing those signings post-draft, prioritizing a list of players who they're going to pursue."

Leaning on the Rookie Pass-Catchers

None of the four rookie pass-catchers the Jaguars drafted in April are set to be true starters in Week 1, unless you count Nate Boerkircher in 12 personnel. But the Jaguars have more or less reset the depth charts of both the receiver and tight end rooms by stocking the backup spots with rookies instead of veterans like they did a year ago in Tim Patrick, Johnny Mundt, and Hunter Long.

The Jaguars did not get much upside out of leaning on experienced backups a year ago, and there could be something to be said about simply getting younger and more explosive behind the likes of Brenton Strange, Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, and Parker Washington in the event any of those players do go down.

"Yeah, I think he's slotted right in as expected in 12-personnel groupings. You'll see him out there with Strange [TE Brenton Strange] right away. Really has come into his own and is showcasing his personality. You can feel that tight end room, especially between him and Tanner [TE Tanner Koziol], really bring some youthful energy, and I think that's a good thing," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said this week.

"It continues to make it so that we have position groups that are built in depth that aren't just young or old or veteran and youthful. I think that combination of those two in conjunction with Brenton and Quintin [TE Quintin Morris] is a really good pairing."

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