Way-Too-Early Jaguars 53-Man Roster Projection

It is only May, but here is our first 53-man roster projection for the Jaguars' 2020 season. Emphasis on projection.

There is a long, long way to go until football is truly back. In fact, it is still a relative unknown as to whether football will take place this fall. But that doesn't mean we can set our sights on what is eventually ahead.

Whenever training camps and football officially take place, teams will eventually have to their 90-man offseason roster almost in half, resulting in a 53-man active roster for the regular season. 

While it is way too early to truly decipher how the roster shakes out considering players can move up or down the pecking order thanks to strong training camps and preseason, it is still a worthwhile exercise. The Jaguars will also undoubtedly claim some players on waivers, as they did with Devine Ozigbo and Seth DeValve in 2019. 

With that said, we decided to take a crack at looking at the Jaguars' current roster and project how it could look right before Week 1. This is merely a projection to give an idea of where the roster is and what parts of it could look like before the season begins. 

Our way-too-early 53-man roster projection is below, but remember this is merely the first projection. More will develop as the offseason unfolds and the season is finally on the horizon. 

Quarterbacks (3): Gardner Minshew II, Mike Glennon, Josh Dobbs

Jacksonville started last season with just two quarterbacks (Minshew and Nick Foles) and then maintained a two-quarterback active roster for the first half of the season as Foles recovered from injury. Once Foles returned, Josh Dobbs remained on the roster as a third quarterback but was inactive, and this is how we think it will play out as of today. Rookie sixth-round quarterback Jake Luton ends up on the practice squad in this scenario.

Running backs (4): Leonard Fournette, Ryquell Armstead, Devine Ozigbo, Chris Thompson

It is hard to see any of these four players not be on the opening day roster, though Ozigbo would likely be the odd man out in the event the Jaguars decided to move forward with three running backs. 

Offensive line (8): Cam Robinson, Andrew Norwell, Brandon Linder, A.J. Cann, Jawaan Taylor, Will Richardson, Tyler Shatley, Ben Bartch

Not much to talk about here. Five starters, two key backups in Will Richardson and Tyler Shatley, and a developmental rookie in Ben Bartch. We expect Richardson to be the swing tackle in this scenario.

Wide receivers (6): DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault, Chris Conley, Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole, Collin Johnson

C.J. Board and Terry Godwin have a long way to go to make the roster due to the addition of two rookie draft picks in Laviska Shenault and Collin Johnson and the presence of four veterans who produced in 2019.

Tight end (4): Tyler Eifert, Josh Oliver, Tyler Davis, James O'Shaughnessy

A lot of this depends on the health status of James O'Shaughnessy, who tore his ACL in Week 5 last season. If he is healthy enough to be on the Week 1 active roster, it is hard seeing Charles Jones make the roster over any of these four, with rookie sixth-rounder Tyler Davis taking his place. 

Defensive line (6): Taven Bryan, Al Woods, DaVon Hamilton, Dawuane Smoot, Rodney Gunter, Abry Jones.

Abry Jones could be a surprise cut if the Jaguars want to keep more defensive backs. Jacksonville added two run-stuffing interior defensive linemen in veteran Al Woods and third-round pick DaVon Hamilton, so it is a bit crowded at the position. Rodney Gunter, Dawuane Smoot, Taven Bryan should all be safe, while Aaron Lynch has a shot to make it as a depth player if Jones is cut. 

EDGE (4): Josh Allen, Yannick Ngakoue, K'Lavon Chaisson, Lerentee McCray

Lerentee McCray sticks on the roster thanks to his special teams value. While the Yannick Ngakoue drama has yet to come to a conclusion, it is looking more and more like he will be on the Jaguars' roster in 2020 unless he sits out the season, though that also seems entirely possible. 

Linebacker (5): Myles Jack, Joe Schobert, Quincy Williams, Shaquille Quarterman, Leon Jacobs.

Cassius Marsh is the cut here as we opt to give Leon Jacobs the final spot instead. Jacobs is coming off a strong sophomore season and while his fit in a potential 3-4 defense is questionable, he has the traits to vindicate using a roster spot to keep. Quincy Williams and Shaquille Quarterman will back up Myles Jack and Joe Schobert and weakside and middle linebacker.

Cornerback (6): CJ Henderson, Tre Herndon, D.J. Hayden, Josiah Scott, Chris Claybrooks, Parry Nickerson

This is one group that could change a lot considering we currently have three rookies set to make the active roster. Rookie seventh-round pick Chris Claybrooks makes it because of his kick return ability, and the Jaguars are highly unlikely to not roster rookie fourth-rounder Josiah Scott. Tre Herndon, CJ Henderson, and D.J. Hayden should be locks for the roster. The Jaguars like Parry Nickerson a lot as a depth option, though Rashaan Melvin could compete for his spot. 

Safety (4): Ronnie Harrison, Jarrod Wilson, Daniel Thomas, J.R. Reed

2019 undrafted free agent Andrew Wingard made last season's roster, but we have 2020 undrafted rookie J.R. Reed edging him out in this projection. This could change during training camp obviously, but it will be a battle to watch. Expect for Daniel Thomas to serve as a key member of special teams and back up Jarrod Wilson.

Specialists (3) Josh Lambo, Logan Cooke, Matt Orzech

Josh Lambo and Logan Cooke are two of the best in the NFL at their respected positions. The Jaguars don't have to worry about their special teams units. 

Any disagreements with our projection, or does it look just right? Let us know in the comments below!