Plotting a Path to Jaguars' 53-Man Roster for 10 Rookies Before Training Camp

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars provided a model for rookie contributors a year ago, and the question now is how their latest rookie batch fits into that model.

We have discussed the potential path to impact for each of the Jaguars' 10 draft picks, but perhaps it is also important to consider where those rookies must first start: by making the 53-man roster after training camp.

So, how can each of the Jaguars' draft picks secure a roster spot during training camp? We break it down below.

TE Nate Boerkircher

jacksonville kagiar — Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Nate Boerkircher (87) runs the ball during rookie minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. Today was the second of a three day camp concluding Sunday. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This one, like several of the other early draft picks on this list, is an easy one. Boerkircher's spot on the 53-man roster is secure after the Jaguars made him the No. 56 overall pick in April's NFL Draft, and the biggest question now is exactly what kind of impact he might have. As things stand today, Boerkircher looks bound to be the Jaguars' No. 2 tight end entering training camp thanks to his ability to win on the line of scrimmage.

The Boerkircher pick has been, of course, panned nationally since the Jaguars made it. But he should have plenty of chances early in his career to contribute to the Jaguars' offense and help them win games, even if it does not turn into much pass-catching production early on in his tenure. Boerkircher is the highlight of this class for a reason.

DL Albert Regis

alberty regi — Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Albert Regis (98) and defensive end Wesley Williams (90) run off the field during rookie minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. Today was the second of a three day camp concluding Sunday. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Another player who is automatically safe due to his draft slot is defensive tackle Albert Regis, who the Jaguars used the No. 81 pick on to boost their defensive tackle depth behind DaVon Hamilton. Regis is not set to be a starter early in his Jaguars career, and he is set to use his rookie season to learn behind Hamilton and become a part of the Jaguars' defensive tackle rotation.

Regis, like Boerkircher, is a player who is entering training camp expected to play a contributing role. It remains to be seen exactly how much he will play as a rookie, but his spot on the defensive line and roster as a whole is secured for the long-term future of his rookie deal. That goes with the territory of being a top-100 pick.

OL Emmanuel Pregnon

The third of the Jaguars' four top-100 picks, Emmanuel Pregnon's roster spot is secured. In fact, his roster spot is as secure as maybe anyone on this list if you just consider the context of the situation he was drafted into. Pregnon, like every other player on this list, is set to be a backup to an entrenched starter this season, but that could change in the near future.

With starting left guard Ezra Cleveland set to be a free agent after the season, Pregnon likely just needs to be patient before he is thrust into the starting depth chart sometime down the road. Until then, he is set to develop as a rookie backup like Wyatt Milum did for the Jaguars during the 2026 season.

DB Jalen Huskey

jalen huslke — Jacksonville Jaguars safety Jalen Huskey (22) drills during rookie minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. Today was the second of a three day camp concluding Sunday. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

We are at our final top-100 pick, and as it is with the rest of the Jaguars' top picks, Jalen Huskey is safely on the roster as a rookie. Huskey has the same question that Boerkircher, Regis, and Pregnon have before him due to the Jaguars already having multiple established veterans in the safety room, which means his role is likely as a special teamer early on in his career.

The Jaguars clearly trust the long-term upside of Huskey on defense as well; otherwise, they would have never spent the No. 100 pick on him. But for his rookie year, Huskey's place on the 53-man roster is set to be on special teams and as a backup to a deep safety room. This is not much different from how 2025 went for most Jaguars rookies, either.

DE Wesley Williams

jacksonville jaguar — Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Wesley Williams (90) high-fives defensive end Quindarius Dunnigan (59) during the first day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Now that we are onto Day 3, things can get a bit more interesting. Fourth-round defensive end Wesley Williams has several key veterans in front of him on the depth chart as well, not even counting star defensive ends Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. Williams will also have to battle a fellow draft pick and two second-year defensive ends in Danny Striggow and B.J. Green. This means there are not many roster spots to go around.

With that said, the Jaguars traded up in the fourth-round to select Williams. For that reason alone, it would be a surprise to see him not land on the 53-man roster as a rookie. He will still have to battle for snaps and prove himself over the course of training camp, but he should be able to secure his roster spot sooner than later.

TE Tanner Koziol

Now that we are getting into the fifth-round territory, the argument for a player making the roster simply because of their draft selection is getting a bit weaker. While that could be in play later on, however, that does not seem to be the case for fifth-round tight end Tanner Koziol after the impression he made over the course of the offseason program.

Koziol likely does not have the blocking chops to play too extensive of a role as a rookie, though he could prove that to be false duing training camp. In the likely scenario that he is limited to the role of move tight end as a rookie, however, Koziol could still see snaps in certain packages and in 13 personnel formations.

WR Josh Cameron

It would be hard for any rookie to make it in the Jaguars' talented wide receiver room, especially a sixth-round rookie. With that said, the very early returns on Josh Cameron suggest that he should find a role with the Jaguars as a rookie, and he has a lot of promise right now when it comes to the potential to make the roster.

While Cameron's size and ball skills make him an appealing option as a backup receiver, his real path to the 53 might be on special teams. Cameron was a stellar punt returner at Baylor and he has the traits to be just as effective as a kick returner at the NFL level, and he could be thrust into that role early on in his NFL career.

WR CJ Williams

If there is one Jaguars rookie who is seemingly set to make a big impression when camp kicks off next week, it is CJ Williams. He turned into the favorite pass-catching threat of the second- and third-team offenses during the offseason program, which means he will get plenty of chances to prove himself in camp and the preseason.

If Williams can continue to make standout plays and be a consistent force with the backup offenses, his path the roster as the team's No. 6 wide receiver would be clear. There are a few undrafted rookies and journeymen veterans he must first fend off, but his path to the roster is set to be all about picking up where he left of.

DE Zach Durfee

The first of the Jaguars' two seventh-round picks, Zach Durfee is facing many of the same challenges in the defensive end room that Wesley Williams is. Unlike Williams, though, Durfee was not traded up for and the Jaguars drafted him three rounds later than his Duke counterpart. That means no spot is guaranteed for him, and he will instead have to earn one.

With that in mind, Durfee has the traits to do just that. He has the ability to grow into an impact pass-rusher if he can put all of his tools together, and flashing the talent to get after the quarterback as a rookie would secure him a spot, just like it did for B.J. Green for the 2025 Jaguars a year ago.

LB Parker Hughes

The rookie facing the toughest path to the roster is Parker Hughes. This is less to do with the fact that he was the final pick of their draft and a seventh-round selection, and much more so to do with the fact that the Jaguars have a lot of moving pieces at the linebacker position right now. Hughes has the traits to be a key special teamer, but first he will have to find a way to stick around.

Other linebackers fighting for a spot could consist of second-year linebackers Jack Kiser and Branson Combs, and it stands to reason Hughes would have to beat out at least one of them to make the 53-man roster. Combs was an offseason standout, however, and Kiser was a fourth-round pick just a year ago.

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