Jaguars vs. Cowboys: 5 Players to Watch

The 2023 NFL season is finally upon us. After months of NFL Draft and offseason discussions, Jaguar fans will finally be able to see their favorite team Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys in the preseason opener.

With the starters set to play and numerous new additions to the team, fans will have plenty to be excited about come 5:00 p.m. kick off. The defending AFC South champions are playoff favorites as the rest of the AFC South could potentially see three rookie quarterbacks this season.

Here are five Jaguars to watch against the Dallas Cowboys in their preseason opener.

Tank Bigsby

Of all of the Jaguars’ new additions, it seems fans are most excited to see former Auburn Tiger tailback Tank Bigsby. Travis Etienne had a fantastic first season of play, rushing for 1,125 yards and five touchdowns on 220 carries. The team’s front office, however, was looking to alleviate some of the weight off of Etienne’s shoulders.

Trent Baalke found that answer in the 2020 SEC Freshman of the Year, Bigsby. In his three seasons with Auburn, Bisgby scampered for 2,903 yards and 25 touchdowns. In addition, he hauled in 62 receptions and 448 yards.

The league is shifting more and more away from feature backs, favoring the committee approach to the position. While Etienne will no doubt see the majority of touches, the Jaguars having a backup with the talent of Bigsby is an invaluable asset to have. Against the Cowboys, fans will get their first glimpse of No.4 and a better idea of his role in the offense this season and beyond.

Anton Harrison

With the loss of Jawaan Taylor to the Kansas City Chiefs, signing a five-year deal worth $80 million, the Jaguars looked for a new right tackle in the NFL Draft. They found their guy in Oklahoma’s Anton Harrison.

Harrison was a stalwart left tackle for the Sooners’ offense, earning Big 12 First-Team recognition and cementing himself among the draft’s top tackles on the board. While he mainly played on the left side of the line in college, he looks to slide over to the right side for the Jaguars.

Harrison has impressed coaches in camp, but he has his first chance to impress the fans Saturday as Jaguars’ head coach Doug Pederson has said to expect to see Harrison play with the starters and beyond. With the importance of protecting the quarterback greater than ever, Harrison could make a huge impact this season at right tackle.

Blake Hance

Unfortunately, long time Jaguars’ interior offensive lineman Tyler Shatley has not yet been cleared since experiencing atrial fibrillation last week, and his return is unknown going forward. While we wish the best for Tyler Shatley and hope for a speedy recovery, Blake Hance has been announced as the team’s starter for the preseason opener.

An undrafted free agent in 2020, Hance played four seasons at Northwestern, starting 47 games at left tackle for the Wildcats. He’s certainly a reliable player and could develop into a nice depth piece for the team moving forward.

An eight game starter for the Cleveland Browns in 2020, the Northwestern alum has now found his home in Jacksonville. He’s certainly impressed the coaching staff, enough to be named a starter against Dallas. He’ll have an opportunity to secure his roster spot with the absence of Shatley and Ben Bartch.

Gregory Junior

Gregory Junior enters the 2023 season with hopes of locking himself a spot on the final 53 this preseason. Coming off of his rookie season, Junior saw limited action with just one game, collecting 6 tackles.

In training camp however, Junior has made a statement with his play. Jaguars’ head coach Doug Pederson says the second-year cornerback has really stepped up his level of play thus far in camp.

With some depth questions remaining at corner, Junior could put those concerns to bed with solid play this preseason. He’s certainly got the talent as the former Ouachita Tiger had a profound impact in college, grabbing the attention of NFL scouts.

Antonio Johnson Jr

The Jaguars have their safety duo locked for the foreseeable future with the rise of Andre Cisco and re-structuring of Rayshawn Jenkins. That said, depth was an issue going into the offseason as Andrew Wingard was set to hit free agency and the rest of the position group was rather thin.

To remedy this, Baalke re-signed Wingard to another contract and looked to the draft to find more help. It was in the fifth round that the Jaguars found the steal of the draft, selecting Texas A&M safety Antonio Johnson Jr.

Originally thought to be a sure fire Day 2 selection, Johnson Jr fell into the fifth round and with a lack of depth at nickel and safety, Baalke pulled the trigger on Johnson Jr. A member of the All-SEC First Team, Johnson could thrive in a “Big Nickel” role with his larger frame if he takes advantage of his play time in camp.