5 Jaguars Whose Jobs Could Be On the Line in OTAs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars will begin their long journey toward another AFC South title next week as OTAs officially begin, and that means so will the position battles.

Jobs will be fought for from next week all the way through training camp, both in the starting lineup and in the key role spots along the Jaguars' depth chart.

So, which veterans should be on notice with Jaguars OTAs starting? We break it down below.

TE Quintin Morris

With the selections of tight ends Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol in last month's draft, the Jaguars have certainly made some important investments at tight end, Between those two, Brenton Strange, and Quintin Morris, the Jaguars have some legit talent and depth at the tight end position, especially compared to last year.

But Morris will have to be the one player in the group who will have to fend off the rookies, especially Boerkircher. Strange is not going to lose any snaps, which means the No. 2 tight end role will likely come down to Morris or Boerkircher. For Morris to win the job, he will have to impress as a pass-catcher during OTAs.

CB Christian Braswell

There is a strong argument to make that the Jaguars' best position group is at cornerback. Travis Hunter is set to step into the No. 1 cornerback role, Montaric Brown is one of the best No. 2 cornerbacks in football, and then there are Jarrian Jones and Jourdan Lewis. Behind that fantastic four of cornerbacks, the Jaguars have veteran cornerback Christian Braswell as the leading candidate for the No. 5 cornerback role.

With that said, the Jaguars have a pair of undrafted rookies at cornerback who certainly have the talent to push Braswell in OTAs and then into training camp. Devon Marshall and Preston Hodge were two of the most productive cornerbacks in college football last season, and they have a lot of traits that the Jaguars value at the cornerback position.

With that said, Braswell has stuck around several defensive coaching staffs in Jacksonville for a reason, and this regime in particular has been very high on him because of his special teams value and the fact he can play both cornerback spots. Marshall and Hodge will really have to stand out to take his spot, and that begins at OTAs.

RB Bhayshul Tuten

Perhaps the most impactful position battle on the Jaguars' entire roster is set to be at running back. It certainly appears the Jaguars are trending toward a true running back by committee with Bhayshul Tuten, LeQuint Allen, and free agent addition Chris Rodriguez Jr. It is hard to see a scenario where Tuten doesn't have a larger role than he had as a rookie, but can he be the unofficial No. 1 running back?

That is the question that will have to be asked over the next few months, with Tuten and Rodriguez set to battle for the top spot on the depth chart. Even if the carries are spread out throughout the room, someone has to be the first running back on the field in Week 1 vs. the Cleveland Browns. For Tuten to ensure it is him, he will have to start his battle at OTAs.

DB Eric Murray

Eric Murray was a valuable piece to the Jaguars' defense last season, serving as one of the leaders of an otherwise young secondary and giving the Jaguars a reliable playmaker on the back end. With veteran safety Andrew Wingard leaving for the Arizona Cardinals in free agency, Murray's experience could be just as valuable this year -- but that does not mean he won't have to win his job starting next week.

Jacksonville, of course, has fourth-year safety Antonio Johnson coming off a massive year. Then there is 2025 third-rounder Caleb Ransaw who missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury. Ransaw will begin his path toward his official debut next week, and Murray will have to do everything he can to make sure that the former Tulane product does not eat into his snaps in the starting defense.

DE B.J. Green

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen made it clear at rookie minicamp: any Jaguars veteran who is worried about the incoming rookie class is in the wrong place. And if there is any role player who will have to hear that message, it is likely second-year defensive end B.J. Green. The former undrafted free agent fought for a roster spot and earned everything that came his way, so he surely will not back down from any fight. But after the Jaguars' draft, a fight does seem imminent.

The Jaguars drafted two defensive ends in April, trading up in the fourth-round for Duke defensive end Wesley Williams and then taking Washington pass-rusher Zach Durfee in the seventh-round. Durfee specifically looks like he has the skill-set to battle Green for a role as a designated pass-rusher, and Green will have to start fending him off next week when OTAs begin.

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