Jacksonville Jaguars 53-man roster prediction

The Jacksonville Jaguars play their final preseason game on Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons, but I don’t think there’s much that will happen in that game that will change the final 53-man roster, more so perhaps who the team decides to keep on the practice squad.

Any way, here we go.

Quarterbacks (2): Blake Bortles, Chad Henne

What no Brandon Allen? Nope, and hear me out: The Jaguars clearly do not seem to value Allen much and if he can’t even push Chad Henne for the backup job, why are you carrying him on the final roster? It’s unlikely he gets claimed on waivers and you can add him to the practice squad if you really want to. Plus, I think the Jaguars might need to save roster spots while they’re dealing with some injuries and keeping only two quarterbacks is one way to do that.

Running back/Fullback (4): Leonard Fournette, Chris Ivory, TJ Yeldon and Corey Grant

I think the top four running backs for the Jaguars are pretty much set. Despite everyone wanting to punt Yeldon from the roster, he’s the only guy they have who can be trusted in pass protection on third downs, so there is a role for him on the team while that’s the case. I didn’t include a fullback here because I don’t think either of them have really done anything note worthy and I think there’s a guy who has played himself on the roster at tight end who can fill the void.

Tight end (4): Marcedes Lewis, Alex Ellis, Mychal Rivera and Ben Koyack

I’m a little iffy on Koyack on the roster, but I think Lewis and Ellis are locks. Rivera is an interesting case because the Jaguars went out and signed him in free agency and when he was healthy he looked good, but the problem is he just simply hasn’t played. When Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone was asked about his status this week, he didn’t seem like Rivera’s position on the team was in danger. As for Ellis, he’s done well in his job as a tight end but he’s also shown some ability to play as an H-back/fullback hybrid type of player.

Wide receiver (6): Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Marqise Lee, Dede Westbrook, Arrelious Benn and Keelan Cole

For me wide receiver is one of the easiest to cut. I think Cole has earned his spot on the roster because of his special teams ability as well as what he’s showed as a receiver. I still think there is a chance Allen Hurns could be traded, as his situation feels reeeeeaaallll fishy, but for now those are the six I see.

Offensive Line (8): Cam Robinson, Patrick Omameh, Brandon Linder, AJ Cann, Jermey Parnell, Josh Wells, Luke Bowanko, Earl Watford

The offensive line is a weird spot and one that I could see the team churning some on the waiver wire during final cuts. I think Tyler Shatley has been give ample time to earn a role and he just doesn’t stand out, so I move on. Otherwise, I’m not really down to pound the table for any of the other guys.

Defensive Line (10): Calais Campbell, Malik Jackson, Abry Jones, Yannick Ngakoue, Dante Fowler, Sheldon Day, Lerentee McCray, Duane Smoot, Stefan Charles, Michael Bennett

For now, I have Stefan Charles and Michael Bennett making the final roster, but this is a spot like the offensive line I could see the Jaguars churning on the back end. The team doesn’t really have an effective backup nose to Jones, so expect that as something to be looked at during waivers. I put Smoot on because he’s a third round pick, but I really haven’t seen much of anything out of him. McCray is listed as a defensive end for the team, but he can also play linebacker if necessary, but he’s a special teams ace.

Linebacker (6): Paul Posluszny, Myles Jack, Telvin Smith, Hayes Pullard, Josh McNary and Blair Brown

Linebacker to me is pretty much set. I think McNary is the special teams ace of this group and Pullard and Brown can realistically play all three spots. Not much wiggle room here, I think.

Cornerback (6): Jalen Ramsey, AJ Bouye, Aaron Colvin, Brian Dixon, Tyler Patmon, Stanley Jean-Baptiste

Corner is weird for me, as I was only going to keep five but then I was short one player overall so I went back and added Jean-Baptiste because he’s made a few plays in preseason. I know Jalen Myrick was a draft pick, but I don’t think he’s played well enough to even make the practice squad.

Safety (4): Tashaun Gipson, Barry Church, Peyton Thompson, Jarrod Wilson

Safety is another position I think is pretty cut and dry. Thompson and Wilson are entrenched as the primary backups.

Specials (3): Jason Myers, Brad Nortman, Matt Overton