Grading Every Major Roster Decision Made by the Jaguars: From Quinn Ewers to Jack Kiser

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars' roster is locked, loaded, and ready to go for Week 1.

The Jaguars have had a busy last few days, making trades and difficult roster decisions as they cut down their roster to 53 and put together their practice squad.

So, what do we make of the most significant moves the Jaguars have made since the weekend? We break it down below.

Quinn Ewers Trade

The most significant move the Jaguars have made in the last few days was the Saturday trade for Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers. The Jaguars dealt a 2028 sixth-round pick to land the former seventh-rounder out of Texas, and it is clear by the Jaguars' corresponding moves at quarterback (signing Nick Mullens and Joey Aguilar to the practice squad), that it was critical to the Jaguars to improve their quarterback depth chart from top to bottom behind Trevor Lawrence.

“Just wanted to continue to create competition in the room. I thought watching some of the stuff he did last year, when he got some ops [opportunities] to go play," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said on Wednesday. "I thought he showed some signs of being able to spread the ball around to different spots on the field. He has some arm talent. I liked him coming out of Texas. I think Sark [Texas head Coach Steve Sarkisian] does a really good job with quarterbacks and he's a young player that you can kind of pour into and see what that looks like as we can go."

On the surface, trading a future sixth for a second-year quarterback who was nearly undrafted the year before would not be seen as a major win. But the Jaguars managed to keep Mullens on the practice squad, ensuring that this wasn't just about improving the No. 2 spot, but also the No. 2 and No. 3 roles. The fact the Jaguars later recouped the pick (more on that later) should be factored in as well.

As for what Ewers brings to the table, it is worth looking at his three starts from a year ago. Among the 32 quarterbacks who took at least 50 snaps from Week 16 to Week 18, Ewers finished No. 24 in adjusted EPA/Play and success rate. Not great, but it was a good bit better than the host of backups ranked behind him. His numbers were on par with Bryce Young during the same stretch, and people seem to think Young is good (for some reason). Ewers has more to prove, but this was a good deal.

Hunter Long Trade

There isn't much to say about the trade that sent Hunter Long to the Arizona Cardinals. Long was simply never going to make the Jaguars' roster, and the most upside he had to stick around would have been on the practice squad. The Jaguars managed to turn their No. 5 tight end and a seventh-round pick into a sixth-round pick in 2028, recouping the pick they gave to the Dolphins and likely moving from the back of the seventh to the front of the sixth, which is a significant jump.

This deal reminded me of the Luke Fortner deal last year, though I think the Jaguars were better off getting a higher pick in a swap than they were getting Khalen Saunders a year ago. The Jaguars could have released Long at any point in the offseason since it was clear he wasn't in their plans, but they stuck with him and got a much higher pick out of it. That is good stuff.

Waiving 2025 Draft Picks

The most controversial moves the Jaguars made over the weekend were the waiving of two 2025 draft picks: fourth-rounder Jack Kiser and sixth-rounder Jalen McLeod. Releasing two draft picks before they begin their second seasons will never be seen as a major positive, even if they are two Day 3 picks who would have been buried on the depth chart. With that said, there is at least some context to the moves.

The fact the Jaguars got both players back on the practice squad indicates the Jaguars read the market right on both players. Kiser has been hurt since the first day of camp with a knee injury, and the Jaguars would have had to let Zach Durfee hit the waiver wire had they given Kiser the injured reserve/designated to return label. Durfee would have likely had a much higher chance to be claimed.

Kiser and McLeod dealt with injuries at the wrong times, and there was never going to be a lot of room for linebackers on the Jaguars' 53. This feels very much so like a neutral move, and not a "the sky is falling for James Gladstone's draft class" like some might have made it seem like.

Releasing Chuma Edoga

Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Chuma Edoga (55) moves to block San Francisco 49ers defensive end Mykel Williams (98) during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The biggest veteran name the Jaguars moved on from this Sunday was backup offensive lineman Chuma Edoga, who they signed a year ago as a member of the new regime's first free agent class. Edoga did not play much last season, though he did serve as one of the offensive line's top backups when injuries did hit.

The simple truth is that Edoga was always going to find an uphill battle to make the roster due to the Jaguars' drafting of Emmanuel Pregnon. That instantly pushed Edoga to the No. 10 offensive line spot. He did have a chance once Patrick Mekari was clearly not going to practice in camp, but this led to the Jaguars making a move for experienced lineman Daniel Faalele instead.

In short, Edoga became the odd-man out with a reinforced and healthier offensive line and the question became this: who has more value as the team's No. 9 offensive lineman, Edoga or 2025 third-round pick Wyatt Milum? Milum did not have a very good training camp, but his youth and draft pedigree alone suggestthe Jaguars made the right decision to move on from Edoga, even if it means Milum has to be the short-term swing tackle if Cole Van Lanen misses any time.

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