In the preseason finale, the Jaguars players fought for the last roster spots, and the starters dusted off any rust they might’ve had heading into the 2023 regular season.

However, the game was called early due to an unfortunate injury to Dolphins WR Daewood Davis in the fourth quarter. Davis was carted off the field on a stretcher and taken to Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville. Fortunately, the next day, there was positive news from the Miami Dolphins regarding Daewood Davis.

While Jaguars vs. Dolphins was called early due to this injury, this good news helps the players from both teams to move forward. Especially with the next few days being challenging for plenty of players as the rosters get maneuvered to 53 players.

Jaguars vs. Dolphins: What Stood Out?

The Offensive Starters

In the final week of the preseason, the Jaguars vs. Dolphins matchup showcased the Jaguars offensive starters to get off to an incredible start.

The two drives the Jaguars’ offensive starters had they drove down the field into the red zone both times. If it weren’t for a Tank Bigsby fumble in the red zone, the Jaguars would’ve had two drives for two touchdowns.

During those first two drives, Trevor Lawrence continued to impress, going 8/10 for 92 yards. But the Jaguars vs. Dolphins matchup featured a lot of runs from both Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby on the first two drives. The aforementioned Tank Bigsby fumble was an indication of how this Jaguars team will be going into the 2023 season. The offense can only stop itself.

Both of the drives from the starters were 12 plays long and took over 6 minutes of game time. Winning time of possession and putting yourself in positions to score is an indication of a strong offense. And with the Jaguars offensive starters checking both of those boxes off in the Jaguars vs. Dolphins matchup, it’s an incredibly encouraging sign for the Jaguars heading into the 2023 season.

The second drive featured some incredible plays from the starters, but the real show-stopper came on a deep throw to Calvin Ridley.

 

Jacksonville Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley (0) - Kam Nedd/Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley (0) – Kam Nedd/Jacksonville Jaguars

It was a catch so unbelievable that the announcers hadn’t even considered it being a catch. And honestly, who can blame them? I doubt many people watching the game thought he caught it.

A wild catch, setting up a Travis Etienne Jr. rushing touchdown, is exactly what Jaguars fans should be seeing more of this season. This Jaguars vs. Dolphins matchup gave way to a lot of positive feelings for the Jaguars. Has there ever been a better offense in the team’s history? It seems like there’s not much stopping this group from becoming the best group they have ever had.

It’s a completely different offense than previous Jaguars teams. Trevor Lawrence might already be the best quarterback in franchise history, and with one of the best wide receiver rooms in the league with Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, and Zay Jones, it’s going to be a relentless offense. That’s also ignoring a fantastic running back room with Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby, along with Evan Engram at tight end.

Jaguars vs. Dolphins: A Promising Rookie Class Shows Up

The 2023 draft class for the Jaguars was ten players deep, and throughout the preseason, the Jaguars have seemingly found a lot of great pickups. A lot of those draft picks showed out in the Jaguars vs. Dolphins matchup in Jacksonville, in their first appearance in front of Jaguars fans.

Yasir Abdullah is one of the most promising of the rookie class, and in the Jaguars vs. Dolphins game, he brought more of his skillset to the table. He’s typically been associated with rushing the passer, and while he’s showcased such skill in his snaps so far through the preseason, Abdullah, in the Jaguars vs. Dolphins game, displayed his pass coverage skill.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Dolphins LB Yasir Abdullah (56) - Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

Jaguars LB Yasir Abdullah (56) – Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

Abdullah had an interception on the first play of a Dolphins drive. His interception led to the Jaguars backup offense punching in a short touchdown, putting them up 17-3 with just over three minutes to go in the game. If he can continue flashing the pass-rushing prowess that he’s shown throughout the preseason and adds solid coverage on top of that, he’d likely be a steal in the fifth round of the draft.

On the other side of the ball, even though he fumbled the ball at the goal line, Tank Bigsby has done enough to impress and solidify a meaningful spot on the Jaguars roster.

Jaguars vs. Dolphins

Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby (4) – Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

Bigsby wasn’t as impressive in the Jaguars vs. Dolphins matchup, but his play throughout the preseason has more than made up for one bad fumble.

Anton Harrison was in a similar boat, having a worse preseason finale than he’s played all preseason, but similarly to Bigsby, there shouldn’t be as much concern when he’s already shown enough to feel confident with him protecting Trevor Lawrence.

Returning to the defensive rookies, Christian Braswell, Ventrell Miller, and Erick Hallett performed well in the preseason finale. Unfortunately, Miller was injured during the game and gingerly walked back to the locker room. But before the injury, Miller put together an impressive day, earning an 83.9 grade from PFF. Braswell continued to impress and showed good tackling ability, something the Jaguars need based on poor tackling last year.

Erick Hallett was a nice surprise as well, recording an interception and receiving a nice tackling grade from PFF, similar to Braswell. With both rookies providing solid coverage and good tackling ability, it adds to the depth the Jaguars have built across the board on both sides of the ball.

Overall, the Jaguars’ rookie class is looking as good as advertised.

Fantastic Depth Everywhere on Offense

If there was one overarching takeaway from the entire preseason and training camp, it would be the incredible depth the Jaguars have created for the 2023 season. That depth was something even more evident in the Jaguars vs. Dolphins preseason finale, where the Jaguars were the better team with each depth rotation that came onto the field.

Quarterback features two solid backups in C.J. Beathard and Nathan Rourke. Running back has Tank Bigsby, D’Ernest Johnson, and JaMycal Hasty, spelling Travis Etienne. Tight End is led by Evan Engram and followed by Brenton Strange and  Luke Farrell. Even along the offensive line, there’s been some quality players stepping up. Chandler Brewer, Cole Van Lanen, Blake Hance, and Darryl Williams all provide solid depth along the offensive line, especially with the injuries to some of the normal starters.

But the most impressive group on offense is the depth at wide receiver. Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Jamal Agnew are the main group at wide receiver. Tim Jones and Parker Washington are the next two in line at backup wide receiver, and both showcased more than just receiving ability. But in the Jaguars vs. Dolphins matchup, Tim Jones had a long touchdown, showcasing his receiving ability.

Aside from that group of 6, there’s still plenty of intriguing depth at wide receiver. Elijah Cooks, Seth Williams, and Jacob Harris have also had their big moments. Cooks and Williams are two that would be especially difficult to lose, but a tough decision will have to be made with the depth ahead of them already on the roster.

Jaguars vs. Dolphins: Final Thoughts

The Jaguars’ preseason ended with a 31 to 18 win against the Dolphins, solidifying an undefeated preseason for the Jaguars, a turnaround from 2022, where they didn’t get a win in the preseason. While the preseason wins and losses don’t mean much in the long term, having positive momentum heading into the regular season is something that can help this Jaguars team off to a strong start.

After this last game, it’s time to start trimming the roster down to 53, and with the depth on offense, tough decisions are bound to happen. It’s nearly the regular season, and for the Jaguars in what could be an incredible year, it’s an exciting time.