2023 Jacksonville Jaguars 53-Man Roster Breakdown

With the 2023 NFL season getting underway, the Jacksonville Jaguars roster has finally taken shape. A lot of roster moves were made, and the Jaguars 53-man roster has finally settled into place. It’s now time to break down how the Jaguars’ 53-man roster ended up, including the players on the practice squad and the players forced to sit out due to injury or suspension.

Jacksonville Jaguars 53 Man Roster

Quarterback – (2)

• Trevor Lawrence
• C.J. Beathard

To no one’s surprise, the Jaguars keep both Lawrence and Beathard on the final Jaguars 53-man roster. However, there was some speculation that Nathan Rourke might make the 53-man roster, so the Jaguars elected to only keep the two quarterbacks on the roster. Trevor Lawrence will begin his third campaign in the NFL with the best roster and situation he’s had since he entered the league, thanks to an improved offensive skill group that is among the best in the NFL.

Running Back – (4)

• Travis Etienne Jr.
• Tank Bigsby
• D’Ernest Johnson
• JaMycal Hasty

This group of four felt like the clear candidates to make the 53-man roster through the preseason and training camp. Etienne is primed for a huge season, and Bigsby and Johnson are fantastic backups and change-of-pace backs for the Jaguars.

Hasty was the only one of this group that could’ve missed out on the roster, but that last little bit of doubt was squandered, thanks to an impressive showing in the final preseason game. Also, heading into the 2023 season with only three running backs would not be the best idea, considering the use that running backs are put through throughout a season.

Wide Receiver – (7)

• Calvin Ridley
• Christian Kirk
• Zay Jones
• Jamal Agnew
• Tim Jones
• Parker Washington
• Elijah Cooks

This might become the best wide receiver corps the Jaguars have ever put together, and not only with the top-end talent either. Elijah Cooks was the big success story for the Jaguars, being an undrafted free agent. With a position like wide receiver already having six players on the roster, forcing the Jaguars to keep him as the seventh receiver is a testament to how well he played in the preseason. It’s an incredibly exciting group and should provide some incredible sparks throughout the season for the Jaguars offense.

Tight End – (3)

• Evan Engram
• Brenton Strange
• Luke Farrell

One of the big surprise cuts to get to 53 players was Garret Prince, the Jaguar’s fourth tight end. But having Elijah Cooks could’ve been the deciding factor in whether Prince made the roster. Regardless, this tight-end room is incredibly impressive. Between Evan Engram, who the Jaguars just locked up long term, and Luke Farrell, along with rookie Brenton Strange, this tight-end group should provide high-quality receiving ability and blocking prowess.

Offensive Line – (8)

• Walker Little
• Ben Bartch
• Luke Fortner
• Brandon Scherff
• Anton Harrison
• Tyler Shatley
• Cole Van Lanen
• Blake Hance

One of the big concerns heading into the 2023 season for the Jaguars was the improvement along the offensive line and whether it would occur or not. After the preseason and training camp, this group has a lot of optimism. Little (LT), Bartch (LG), Fortner (C), and Scherff (RG) are all poised to have better seasons than last year.

But the most important thing to take notice of is the emergence of Anton Harrison (RT) as a quality offensive tackle. If he plays the way he did throughout the preseason and training camp, the Jaguars will see a much better offensive line protecting Trevor Lawrence.

Tyler Shatley is finally cleared to return to play after a major health concern during training camp. Cole Van Lanen and Blake Hance round out the offensive line room, providing depth across the offensive line with their versatility. Expect an improved offensive line for the Jaguars in 2023, and this would all be before Cam Robinson returns from suspension later in the season.

Defensive Line – (6)

• Roy Robertson-Harris
• Foley Fatukasi
• Adam Gotsis
• Tyler Lacy
• Jeremiah Ledbetter
• Angelo Blackson

This group might be the weakest on the Jaguars roster, especially with the injury to DaVon Hamilton sidelining him for at least four weeks with his placement on injured reserve. This group will need to step up in a big way for the Jaguars, especially in the early portion of the season.

Tyler Lacy is the only non-veteran on the Jaguars 53-man roster at defensive line, with the rest being veterans of five or more seasons. A combination of journeymen defensive linemen and a rookie with high potential makes for an intriguing group, but one that might be the biggest hole on the roster heading into the 2023 NFL season.

Outside Linebacker – (4)

• Josh Allen
• Travon Walker
• K’Lavon Chaisson
• Yasir Abdullah

 

Out of all the Jaguars position groups, this might be the most exciting. Yes, the wide receivers are incredibly important and exciting, but this group of outside linebackers is a combination of young players and franchise main-stays. Josh Allen and Travon Walker are an underrated duo at outside linebacker and are the two bright spots along the Jaguars pass rush.

While K’Lavon Chaisson has had his struggles, he still provides enough pass-rushing talent that his inclusion to the Jaguars 53-man roster never should’ve been questioned. And possibly the most exciting rookie the Jaguars have Yasir Abdullah, could be a game-wrecker. In the 2023 NFL draft, Abdullah was one of the most underrated linebackers in a stacked class, and the Jaguars got a potential steal with Abdullah in the fifth round.

Inside Linebacker – (5)

• Foye Oluokun
• Devin Lloyd
• Chad Muma
• Shaquille Quarterman
• Caleb Johnson

The encouragement for the linebackers stays inside as it did with the outside linebackers. Foye Oluokun is an incredibly fun player. A leader over the middle, Oluokun was named a captain by his teammates and was more than deserving. Devin Lloyd is a favorite to have both a rebound season and a breakout season, continuing his Rookie of the Week honors from week one in 2022 into the entire 2023 season.

Chad Muma, Shaquille Quarterman, and Caleb Johnson are quality depth pieces and should help on both defense and special teams.

Cornerback – (6)

• Tyson Campbell
• Darious Williams
• Gregory Junior
• Tre Herndon
• Christian Braswell
• Montaric Brown

Tyson Campbell had a breakout in 2022 and should once again provide high-quality cornerback play for the Jaguars in 2023. Darious Williams will continue to be the Jaguars’ number two cornerback and should hopefully solidify that spot to make way for an interesting battle for slot cornerback duties.

That battle is between Tre Herndon and Gregory Junior. Junior has made the headlining plays throughout the preseason and earned strong consideration for the starting job, but the stability that Herndon brings to the position creates a great problem: too many cornerbacks. That’s without counting Christian Braswell and Montaric Brown, who can fill in nicely as backup corners if needed.

Safety – (5)

• Rayshawn Jenkins
• Andre Cisco
• Andrew Wingard
• Daniel Thomas
• Antonio Johnson

Jenkins and Cisco are a fantastic safety duo, and following a trend with many of the other position groups is criminally underrated. Those two safeties should once again provide great play for the Jaguars on the back end. Wingard and Thomas have some quality backups as well, especially with their ability on special teams more than earning them a spot on the Jaguars 53-man roster.

Antonio Johnson is one of the most intriguing players that the Jaguars have. The rookie will miss some time with a hamstring injury, but once he returns, he could factor into the game plan and be a contributor down the stretch.

Specialists – (3)

• Ross Matiscik
• Logan Cooke
• Brandon McManus

The Jaguars went out and acquired the services of Brandon McManus to kick for them in the 2023 season. The former Bronco can hit form far out and should be a welcome addition to a high-powered offense. Logan Cooke is back with the Jaguars and should remain as one of the best punters in the NFL. There was some concern over Ross Matiscik missing time with a shoulder injury, but he is on track to be ready for week one of the Jaguars season.

Who Just Missed Out on the Jaguars 53-Man Roster?

Practice Squad

• (OL) Chandler Brewer
• (OLB) D.J. Coleman
• (OL) Coy Cronk
• (DL) De’Shaan Dixon
• (CB) Erick Hallett II
• (LB) Dequan Jackson
• (TE) Derek Parish
• (QB) Nathan Rourke
• (OL) Darryl Williams
• (WR) Seth Williams
• (CB) Tevaughn Campbell
• (RB) Snoop Conner
• (WR) Jacob Harris
• (DL) Ross Blacklock
• (DL) Esezi Otomewo
• (TE) Josh Pederson
• (S) Ayo Oyelola (International Player Pathway Program)

The Jaguars 53-man roster isn’t the be-all-end-all for the Jaguars, as the practice squad is a great place to have players reside, whether they’re called up to play on game days or not. Nathan Rourke returning to the Jaguars highlights the practice squad as the fan favorite returns to Jacksonville.

The other most notable players are wide receivers Jacob Harris and Seth Williams, both standout receivers in preseason; offensive linemen Chandler Brewer and Darryl Williams; cornerbacks Erick Hallett II and Tevaughn Campbell; Lastly, defensive lineman Ross Blacklock.

While the majority of these players may not see time on the game-day roster, their inclusion shouldn’t be forgotten, as teams will dip into the practice squad to account for injuries and necessary roster changes. The Jaguars 53-man roster is never going to be set in stone, so expect to see a lot of moves throughout the season.

Injured Reserve and PUP

• DaVon Hamilton
• Cooper Hodges
• Ventrell Miller
• Jaylon Moore
• Josh Wells

Out of these five players, only DaVon Hamilton and Cooper Hodges will be able to return to the Jaguars roster in 2023. The rest were placed on injured reserves before the 53-man rosters were finalized, meaning they will miss the 2023 season. But Hamilton and Hodges should come back at some point, and Hamilton is an incredibly important player for the Jaguars, so having him return at full health could elevate the Jaguars.

Suspended and Exempt Players

• Cam Robinson – Suspended 4 Games
• Chris Claybrooks – Placed on the Commissioners Exempt List

The Jaguars are missing Cam Robinson due to a suspension for violating the NFL’s PED policy for the season’s first four games. But at least his return is expected.

Chris Claybrooks might not be returning to the roster after he was arrested for false imprisonment and domestic battery. He pled not guilty in August, but Claybrooks was still placed on the Commissioners Exempt list. With how talented the Jaguars are at safety, his absence won’t hurt the Jaguars, and there shouldn’t be much expectation that Claybrooks will be on the field for the Jaguars in 2023.