Updated 53-Man Roster Projections for Jacksonville Jaguars Post-Preseason Week 3
With three preseason games completed and initial roster cuts made, the Jacksonville Jaguars are trimming down and focusing on the final product coming up to the regular season.
It's been a productive preseason so far, with each game and week of practice providing predominantly positive news. The injuries have been plentiful, but not devastating, and the Jaguars have to be thankful for that.
The games haven't been perfect, but the team has performed in a way that has produced hope and excitement for the upcoming season. For the first time in years, it feels like the Jaguars are legitimately ready to get results.
It's not going to be an easy season, but before the Jaguars can get to that challenge, they have to trim down to the worthy 53. There's only so many spots on the roster, and every player will spend the last week proving they should be on it come Week 1.
Quarterback
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This may be the roster's most certain positional group. Starting quarterback Blake Bortles has impressed in the preseason, and Chad Henne has looked, well, very much the backup at this point.
Stephen Morris is the third and last QB on the roster after the Jaguars recently cut Jeff Tuel, and it's unlikely that there will be room for Morris. Sometimes it works out that a team can take three QBs, but it's not likely for the Jaguars.
Bortles' improvement has solidified the lineup, and Henne's experience and familiarity with the team will also ensure a spot. Morris could find a practice-squad spot in Jacksonville, but it's possible he'll move on elsewhere.
Running Back
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Rookie running back T.J. Yeldon didn't have the easiest of nights against the Detroit Lions last Friday, but his eight carries for 10 yards isn't causing any panic. It was his first time on the field in a Jaguars uniform, and he's still the preferred feature back.
Behind him, the trio of Denard Robinson, Toby Gerhart and Bernard Pierce will take turns getting handoffs and will work to create a strong, varying stable of running backs. Finally, it's likely Corey Grant will earn a roster spot, although his time on the field should mostly be as a kick returner.
That leaves one man on the outside looking in: Storm Johnson. Johnson, who was a seventh-round pick of the 2014 NFL draft, didn't show enough in games last season or in the offseason to earn a spot, and an unspectacular preseason should see him on the practice squad or somewhere else.
Wide Receivers
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With wide receivers Damian Copeland and Arrelious Benn on the injury reserve, the battle for roster spots at WR has gotten even more interesting. It's now down to nine options, and only five will make it.
Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns and Rashad Greene are the current guarantees. For Lee, it's a matter of getting healthy and back on the field, and for Greene, Hurns and Robinson, it's about building off their rookie seasons and a productive preseason.
That leaves Erik Lora, Neal Sterling, Bryan Walters, Tony Washington and Kasey Closs for one more guaranteed spot. There could be a sixth, but with the Jaguars' focus on TEs, a plethora of WRs isn't necessary.
Of the three, it seems like Closs has the most to offer. He's an option as a punt returner, has decent speed and good size at 6'3" and 205 pounds. It'll come down to the wire for these five, and who will actually get the final roster spot or two could be surprising.
Tight Ends
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Greg Olson's new offense sees a heavy use of tight ends, and Jaguars fans can expect to see two TEs on the field at the same time pretty often. Julius Thomas and Marcedes Lewis are the preferred starters, but there's still the matter of finding the backups.
Clay Harbor has had a few bad drops this preseason, but his prevalence in the first few preseason games seems to mean that Olson likes him. He can play in the slot and is a decent blocker, so it definitely makes sense to have him on the roster as a versatile backup.
The other backup will likely be seventh-round 2015 NFL draft pick Ben Koyack. An established player at Notre Dame, Koyack has done his best to learn under two leading TEs and will take that into the season.
That leaves Nic Jacobs on the outside, and he has enough talent to make a roster elsewhere. The TE position is stacked, and that means that hard-working players like Nic Jacobs have to depart.
Offensive Line
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The Jaguars' offensive line is much-improved from last year's rendition, mostly thanks to new additions. The starting lineup of left tackle Luke Joeckel, left guard Zane Beadles, center Stefen Wisniewski, right guard Brandon Linder and right tackle Jermey Parnell will lead the way for the Jaguars offense this season.
The backup situation isn't quite as certain, but it seems like tackles Sam Young and Austin Pasztor, guards Tyler Shatley and rookie A.J. Cann as well as C Luke Bowanko will be the second line of choice for the Jaguars this season.
That makes OL Will Corbin and G Chris Reed the likely members to get cut. Both are young and have potential, but aren't as promising as the predominantly young line before them.
There is considerable depth at the line this year, and the mix of free-agent signings Wisniewski and Parnell, along with the improving Joeckel and Linder, as well as veteran Beadles, makes up a starting line to have trust in.
Defensive Line
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Turning to the defensive side of the ball now, the first defensive group is the line. The DL hasn't been perfect in the preseason, but it's also been without some of its key players.
The preferred starting line would be "Leo" Chris Clemons, defensive tackles Roy Miller and Sen'Derrick Marks and finally defensive end Jared Odrick. Odrick is the only new member from last year's squad, and he should make a quick impact.
The Leo is easily the most important position on the Jaguars line, and that's why there will be three options behind Clemons. Andre Branch, Chris Smith and Ryan Davis have all showed promise and will be used as subs for the aging Chris Clemons.
DE Tyson Alualu, DT Abry Jones and DT Michael Bennett will be the backups to Odrick, Miller and Marks, respectively. All three are capable and will get their proper showcase in the final preseason game.
All that's left is DE Cap Capi, DE Ikponmwosa Igbinosun, DT Ash Richard and DT Ziggy Hood. Hood is the most surprising of the four, but a lackluster offseason followed by an average-at-best preseason should let Bennett take the backup job.
Linebackers
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The men behind the defensive line are also looking prime for the regular season, and understandably so. With a trio like outside linebacker Telvin Smith, inside linebacker Paul Posluszny and OLB Dan Skuta, it definitely seems like the Jaguars have a dynamic group of starters.
The backing trio to this bunch is likely going to be LBs Thurston Armbrister, Jeremiah George and LaRoy Reynolds. Each of the three are decently young and talented, and working with the starters in front of them should be a beneficial experience.
On the outside looking in, LBs Todd Thomas and John Lotulelei will have to either join the practice squad or find work elsewhere. Neither is a bad option, but they don't have the potential or enough ability to beat out the backups.
Corners
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The secondary has had a tough going for the past year or two, mostly due to a lack of experience and depth. However, a new addition or two and youngsters getting a few notches on their built has the corner group looking much-improved.
The likely players to expect would be Aaron Colvin, Davon House, Demetrius McCray and Dwayne Gratz, with a battle for the fifth spot to be had between the remaining options at corner.
Peyton Thompson, Nick Marshall, Jeremy Harris and Rashaad Reynolds are all viable options, but only one can make it. While Harris has shown, personally, to be the most talented of the four, Marshall's high ceiling and ability as a kick returner is too much to pass up.
It's a risk to bring a former-QB free-agent signing into the final roster as a corner, but Marshall does look promising and has done well as a kick returner in the preseason.
Safeties
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The final group on the defense is the safeties, which has also seen new additions like the corners. The probable starting pair of strong safety Jonathan Cyprien and free safety Sergio Brown should start Week 1, but they have two backups hot on their heels.
Rookie FS James Sample is coming back from an arm injury, and sophomore Craig Loston has done a fine job in the preseason thus far. Both are young and hungry, and that means that the two starters have actual pressure to perform.
Matt Daniels and Josh Evans will be the two to be cut, mostly due to the Jaguars already seeing what they can achieve along with the addition of Sample and Brown. Both could find spots on the practice squad.
Special Teams
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Despite competition from punter Kasey Redfern, who was cut in the latest roster move, and kicker Jason Myers, it seems like the starting duo of K Josh Scobee and P Bryan Anger will be together for at least one more season in Jacksonville.
Both are veterans at this point, with Scobee especially so. The all-time leading scorer for the Jags has a lot of composure and means a lot to this team as a player and a person.
The final roster spot belongs to long snapper Carson Tinker. He'll be zipping the ball back to Anger and Scobee for his third season and will look to continue a successful NFL career.
All stats were provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise stated.
Evan Reier is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Evan on Twitter @evanreier.
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