3 Jaguars Whose Jobs Are On the Line Through OTAs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have turned in a few OTA practices through the last few weeks, and they are picking up steam toward the 2026 season with each passing day.

There have been several standout performances in OTAs so far, but with each big performance means there are other players on the roster whose roles might be on the line as a result. Above all else, the Jaguars want players to fight for their jobs. As Liam Coen said after practice, "the best will rise and play."

liam coe — Jaguars head coach Liam Coen talks with the media after the Jaguars held their fourth OTA of the year, Monday June 1, 2026 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"But having depth and competition at every position was something that we were trying to do with the draft. I think ultimately you're seeing guys practice harder and play harder and compete harder," Coen said.

So, which Jaguars have seen their jobs potentially put on the line during the start of OTAs? We break it down below.

RB DeeJay Dallas

DeeJay Dallas is a valuable player for the Jaguars to have on the roster. He is an experienced veteran who provides special teams value, has connections to a number of coaches on staff, and he can make plays in both the pass and run game. With that said, Dallas was always going to have a ceiling of being the No. 4 running back due to the trip of Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez Jr., and LeQuint Allen.

Rodriguez has not been on the field in OTAs so far, but Tuten has clearly been a big winner of OTAs so far, and Allen will always be safe due to his bulldog mentality as a third-down pass protector. Joining Dallas in the running for the No. 4 job, however, could be undrafted free agent running back J'Mari Taylor.

Taylor, Dallas and the rest of the Jaguars' running back room can not really be evaluated until the pads come on. But to this point, Taylor has looked even more explosive than advertised, and he seems like he could be too interesting of a developmental option to ignore. He certainly has made a strong case for himself so far, which means Dallas could have a battle on his hands.

CB Christian Braswell

Christian Braswell has certainly not played poorly during the open OTA practices. Like DeeJay Dallas, he is an experienced veteran who has done everything he has been asked and then some since he joined the franchise. With that said, it is hard not to be impressed by some of the other performances at the cornerback position for the Jaguars' depth chart.

Undrafted rookie cornerback Preston Hodge stood out during the first week of OTAs, recording an interception and proving his college ball skills were legit for the next level. He was active again on Monday, but he wasn't the only one. Second-year cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, an undrafted free agent a year ago, has been one of the true standout defenders of OTAs to this point and he happens to be able to play a similar role as Braswell at nickel cornerback.

Braswell, of course, can do more than just play in the slot. He has also provided depth at outside cornerback, and he was a big part of the Jaguars' special teams last year as well. He will be a tough guy to beat out, but Hodge and Muhammad have each taken steps toward potentially challenging him.

DL Matt Dickerson

The theme of this list has been that there is nothing any of these players themselves have done wrong, it is just how impressive other players have been at the same position. The same goes for defensive lineman Matt Dickerson, who is already at a disadvantage to make an impact at OTAs anyways due to the position he plays. With that said, there have been a few players at the position who have stood out as athletes that it is fair to say Dickerson will have to fight for a role.

Ruke Orhorhoro, as expected, has been impressive in terms of his burst and general play-speed at the position. This was always going to be the case simply due to his profile as a player, but the Jaguars also added several undrafted free agents at the position who have stood out due to their movement skills. I thought rookie defensive tackle T.J. Bollers especially stood out during drills due to his general speed for the position, and he should be on the radar to push Dickerson once the pads come on in training camp.

Again, this is not anything Dickerson has done negatively, but Orhorhoro simply seems to be too explosive not to be one of the Jaguars' top options at defensive tackle. Add in a young guy like Bollers who has a chance to stand out, and there is a legit level of competition here.

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