Jaguars Mailbag: Who Are the Biggest Surprises on the 53-Man Roster?

Throughout the offseason, we will be taking questions on the biggest questions facing the Jacksonville Jaguars until Week 1.

You can submit your questions every week by tweeting them to the Jaguar Report Twitter handle or by submitting them here.

In this week's mailbag, we preview the biggest surprises on the 53-man roster, where the most depth on the roster is and more.

Q: How many targets do you think Elijah Cooks will see this season, if any?

A: Tim Jones saw four targets last year, so somewhere under five makes sense. Obviously if any injuries happen things could get interesting, but the Jaguars stayed relatively healthy last year. I love that this is the first question, for the record.

Q: Who was the most surprising cut or player who made the team?

A: I think it has to be Gerrit Prince. If I didn't learn a valuable lesson with the Adam Gotsis situation last year, I would have said Blake Hance. I jumped the gun and slammed the Jaguars for not keeping Gotsis last year when, in reality, the Jaguars were just using his veteran status to move him and others on and off the roster in the form of roster gymnastics. They did that again this year with Hance, who is set to be their swing tackle over the first month of the season and would have otherwise been a shocking cut.

The Jaguars ultimately let Prince go because they decided to carry extra players at wide receiver and running back. I didn't expect the Jaguars to keep seven receivers. Keeping four running backs felt more likely, but even that was a surprise based on JaMycal Hasty's usage during the preseason.

Other than that, there aren't a lot of surprises. We missed Elijah Cooks and JaMycal Hasty on our 53-man projection (Blake Hance and Gerrit Prince were in their place). We also had Chris Claybrooks making it over Montaric Brown, but that decision wasn't up to the Jaguars since the NFL placed him on the exempt list. Overall, this was a pretty cut-and-dry roster turnover.

Q: Based on what you’ve seen in camp and preseason, will the pass rush be more potent? If not, any indication the team trades for someone to help?

A: Maybe the Jaguars are a team that looks for more help closer to the trade deadline. That seems more likely than them making a move now, because all signs today point to them wanting to see what their current group can do. I think Josh Allen is going to have a good season and Travon Walker's production should increase, but I do think the Jaguars will miss some of the inside pressure that Dawuane Smoot and Arden Key brought, especially with DaVon Hamilton on injured reserve.

Q: Hi John, are you more concerned with our Tackle position group until we get Robinson back or our EDGE pass rush rotation until Smoot returns? Thank you for the excellent preseason coverage

A: I think that is a great question. I would probably go tackle just because the Jaguars have eight career starts between left tackle Walker Little and right tackle Anton Harrison, but it makes sense for there to be some concern with the pass-rush depth behind Josh Allen and Travon Walker, too. I think Allen can give you guaranteed production, which is probably what separates the units.

Q: What's the deal with Hamilton? Why is the team being so vague about this "back injury"?

A: I am not sure and I don't think it is fair to speculate, either. Since it is a medical-related injury, it makes sense for there to be a sense of privacy for DaVon Hamilton. Once he returns, I am sure he will go over what the issue has been.

Q: Cooks vs Washington. Do we roll with 7, does Cooks cross-train at TE or do they make further moves?

A: I do think they roll with seven, unless any future injuries at other positions force them to change their plans and be flexible. Both Elijah Cooks and Parker Washington would likely be claimed if they were waived at any point, so the only real options are to roster seven or risk the chances of losing one of them for good.

With that said, I do not think they cross train Cooks at tight end. Even when the tight ends split out wide, it is just such a different position in the Jaguars' offense that it doesn't seem like it would do either party any good to ask him to learn how to be an NFL pro at two different positions.

Q: Who do you see making the jump to All-Pro Level/Elite player this season outside of Calvin Ridley??

A: Does Tyson Campbell count? He played at a legitimate Pro Bowl level last season, but there are a ton of reasons to think he can be even better this year. Campbell came into his own last season, showing versatility in coverage and the ability to hang with top No. 1 wideouts. This year Campbell could be tasked with following No. 1 receivers which could help unlock the next phase of his development.

I think Andre Cisco is the pick for which player will make the jump to Pro Bowl-level play, similar to the jump that we saw Tyson Campbell make from 2021 to 2022.

Q: If you can change one offseason move the Jags made or didn’t make, what would it be?

A: I am not going to change any of their draft picks in this scenario. Brenton Strange's blocking ability could change the complexion of the offense and Tank Bigsby looks like a capable and exciting option to take carries off Travis Etienne's load. With that said, the one thing I probably would have done that the Jaguars didn't do is make some kind of move for a No. 3 pass-rusher. I know the situation has to be exactly right, both in terms of defined role and financial terms, but it really feels like the Jaguars could regret putting all of their eggs in the K'Lavon Chaisson basket.

Q: Now that the initial rosters of all teams are finalized, what do you see as the floor and ceiling in terms of record for the season?

A: I think the absolute floor for the Jaguars is 10-7. There could be depth concerns on defense and injuries at any point of the season could make things hairy, but as long as the Jaguars keep Trevor Lawrence upright, they will win games. I will go with 13-4 as the ceiling. 12-5 might be more accurate due to where it looks like the defense is at, but I really do think they have the offense to push for a No. 1 seed.

Q: John, who would you predict to be healthy scratches for Week 1?

A: Whew, we are getting into the deep tracks on this one. I guess I will go with Parker Washington, Elijah Cooks, Cole Van Lanen, Montaric Brown, and JaMycal Hasty.