JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars open the 2024 NFL regular season at the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 8 at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Jaguars revamped the receiver room, losing Calvin Ridley to free agency and cutting Zay Jones and adding Gabe Davis in free agency and drafting Brian Thomas Jr. to pair with Christian Kirk. That places more pressure on quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension with $142 million fully guaranteed last month. They're paying Lawrence like a franchise QB and he has to play like it, which includes elevating the players around him. There's no time to ease into that, either, because the Jaguars' first four games are against 2023 playoff teams (three on the road).
Here is the 53-man roster projection:
QUARTERBACKS (2): Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones
The Jaguars traded a sixth-round pick for Jones, who has more experience than current backup C.J. Beathard. Those two will battle for the No. 2 spot, but one thing to consider: There's a much better chance the Jaguars could get Beathard back on the practice squad than Jones.
RUNNING BACKS (4): Travis Etienne Jr., Tank Bigsby, D'Ernest Johnson, Keilan Robinson
The Jaguars want to reduce Etienne's workload and get Bigsby and Johnson more work, but they said that last season, too, and it didn't happen. Part of that was the offense struggling to run the ball and the fact that the staff lost some confidence in Bigsby (lost two fumbles and had a pass bounce off his hands for an interception). Robinson was drafted as a kick returner so his contribution on offense could be minimal unless there are injuries.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6): Gabe Davis, Brian Thomas Jr., Christian Kirk, Devin Duvernay, Parker Washington, Tim Jones
Davis gives them the same thing as Jones (field stretcher on the outside) but he's younger (25). Thomas has the speed that scares defenses (4.33 40 at the combine). The key is for Kirk to stay healthy. He's the player that Lawrence trusts the most and the offense struggled during the five full games he missed (18.4 points per game).
TIGHT ENDS (3): Evan Engram, Brenton Strange, Luke Farrell
Engram wants to top his 114-catch season by making more plays down the field, but if Davis and Thomas become the deep threats on the outside he should thrive with underneath and intermediate routes. Expect more two tight end formations with Strange in his second season. He was a player head coach Doug Pederson really wanted in 2023 but the Jaguars didn't use him much as a rookie.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (9): Cam Robinson, Ezra Cleveland, Mitch Morse, Brandon Scherff, Anton Harrison, Walker Little, Javon Foster, Cooper Hodges, Luke Fortner
Morse may be the biggest offseason addition and he significantly upgrades the interior of the offensive line. He was the second-best run blocking center in the league last year and he ranked 14th in pass block win rate. Scherff needs to stay healthy and the Jaguars re-signed Cleveland with the belief that when fully healthy he'll solidify left guard. Robinson also has to prove he can stay healthy (he's missed 10 games with injuries over the last three seasons). If he doesn't, Little will step in.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (7): Arik Armstead, DaVon Hamilton, Roy Robertson-Harris, Tyler Lacy, Maason Smith, Jordan Jefferson, De'Shaan Dixon
The Jaguars are banking on Hamilton bouncing back from a disappointing 2023 (back infection) and playing at the level he did in 2022, which got him a contract extension. Armstead will significantly upgrade the interior pass rush, but the Jaguars have to monitor the 30-year-old's snap count because he's missed 13 games with injuries over the last two seasons. Lacy is expected to have a bigger role in the new defense.
LINEBACKERS (9): Josh Allen, Travon Walker, Foyesade Oluokun, Devin Lloyd, Trevis Gipson, Chad Muma, Ventrell Miller, DJ Coleman, Yasir Abdullah
It'll be hard for Allen (17.5) and Walker (10) to top their combined sack total in 2023, but Walker could thrive in Ryan Nielsen's new scheme because he may end up rushing from the inside more - which was where he had a lot of success in college. Oluokun may line up more at weakside linebacker, with Lloyd in the middle at times. Miller was a spring standout but may find most of his work on special teams.
CORNERBACKS (5): Tyson Campbell, Ronald Darby, Jarrian Jones, De'Antre Prince, Montaric Brown
Campbell is locked in at one spot but expect the other four to rotate outside and inside throughout camp as Nielsen tries to figure out the best combination. Darby has played a lot of press man coverage in his nine-year career (which is what Nielsen likes to do) and that gives rookies Jones and Prince more time to develop. Campbell is in the last year of his rookie contract and coming off an injury-plagued 2023 so he needs a big season.
SAFETIES (5): Andre Cisco, Antonio Johnson, Darnell Savage, Daniel Thomas, Andrew Wingard
Cisco also needs a good season because he's in the last year of his rookie contract. He's almost a lock as a starter, but Johnson really came on at the end of last season and the staff also likes using him as a big nickel. Savage also will get work at nickel in some coverage packages. Wingard and Thomas are core special teams players who have been solid backups.
SPECIALISTS (3): Logan Cooke, Cam Little, Ross Matiscik
Little, a sixth-round pick who turns 21 in the middle of camp, beats out Riley Patterson for the kicking job. Matiscik is a Pro Bowl holder and Cooke is one of the league's best punters. Nobody has put more punts inside the 10-yard line than his 70 since he entered the league in 2018.