How OTAs Changed the Jaguars' Depth Chart: Tanner Koziol Amongst Risers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have spent the last few weeks on the practice field in the thick of their second-ever OTAs under head coach Liam Coen, and plenty has gone down at the Miller Electric Center facility.

While no jobs will be won or lost during a padless offseason program, OTAs are the perfect time for members of the Jaguars' roster to build some momentum ahead of training camp, flash their talents, and provide some hope at one spot or another.

We have seen a few different members of the roster do this over the last few weeks of Jaguars OTA practices, and several players have made a case to make a leap up the depth chart as a result. Here are four players who, for now, look like they are creating some depth chart movement with their play on the practice field.

TE Tanner Koziol

It certainly felt like fifth-round rookie tight end Tanner Koziol had a big fight on his hands for snaps at a remade tight end room, even if he has always been a lock for the roster due to his draft status. Brenton Strange is the clear-cut leader of the room, Nate Boerkircher will clearly have a role as the No. 56 pick, and the Jaguars re-signed versatile and steady veteran Quintin Morris earlier this offseason.

With that in mind, Koziol has put together some impressive flashes during the offseason program. He was widely expected to be the TE4 entering OTAs, but he has done enough to earn more looks than that and to even be considered for the TE3 role. A big part of his evaluation will come with pads on, but the athletic ability and pass-catching traits have already shown up early on, and it looks like both will make it hard to keep him on the sidelines all game.

RB J'Mari Taylor

There was certainly plenty of interest in Jaguars rookie running back J'Mari Taylor right off the bat once he signed with the Jaguars in undrafted free agency, and he has done nothing to quiet down the hype since. With that said, Taylor entered the offseason program needing to beat out DeeJay Dallas and then, eventually, Ameer Abdullah.

Dallas has veteran experience, knows the playbook, and offers special teams value, so he is not exactly an easy player to leap on the depth chart as the No. 4 running back. It is hard to say Taylor has been able to do so until the pads come on, but to this point, he certainly looks closer to being the Jaguars' fourth-best running back than he does to being fifth or sixth.

CB Preston Hodge

It will be hard for any of the Jaguars' backup cornerbacks to beat out veteran cornerback Christian Braswell for the No. 5 cornerback spot. but rookie cornerback Preston Hodge has certainly done enough to put himself in the running to do so. Hodge, another undrafted free agency signing, has made plays in each of the OTA practices and has the versatile and productive skill set to suggest he has some staying power.

Hodge entered the offseason program needing to seperate himself amongst a host of other cornerbacks for the backup spot, such as fellow rookie Devon Marshall and veteran cornerback Keith Taylor. But Taylor has since been placed on injured reserve, and Hodge has stood out more than Marshall to this point.

There is one cornerback who has been able to keep pace with Hodge when it comes to a depth spot: second-year cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, who has been able to get his hands on plenty of passes this summer. Those two look like the clear risers for the Jaguars at the cornerback position.

DE Danny Striggow

It is hard to place much of an evaluation on the defensive end position until the Jaguars get into pads during training camp. But even with that context in mind, it is hard not to watch the Jaguars over the last few weeks and not think they have big plans for second-year defensive end Danny Striggow after his strong rookie season last year.

The Jaguars did add two rookies at the position in fourth-rounder Wesley Williams and seventh-rounder Zach Durfee, who should each make an impact in some fashion. There is also fellow second-year defensive end B.J. Greeen who, like Striggow, made a positive impression last season. But Striggow simply looks like the Jaguars' clear-cut No. 3 defensive end at this point in the offseason, and OTAs only confirmed as much.

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