National Football League

Jaguars post-draft roster analysis: added depth, versatility around Trevor Lawrence

Published May. 10, 2023 12:45 p.m. ET

Early in the offseason, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke stressed that Jacksonville's next steps toward perennial AFC contention revolved heavily around the draft.

That wasn't said in jest.

The Jaguars' rookie draft class features a franchise-record 13 players, including 10 Day 3 picks: offensive tackle Anton Harrison (first round), tight end Brenton Strange (second round), running back Tank Bigsby (third round), linebacker Ventrell Miller (fourth round), defensive lineman Tyler Lacy (fourth round), outside linebacker Yasir Abdullah (fifth round), safety Antonio Johnson (fifth round), receiver Parker Washington (sixth round), cornerback Christian Braswell (sixth round), safety Erick Hallett II (sixth round), guard Cooper Hodges (seventh round), defensive tackle Raymond Vohasek (seventh round) and fullback Derek Parish (seventh round).

What could the rookies mean for the Jags in 2023?

A breakdown:

Quarterbacks (2): Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Beathard

The Jaguars have the most stable quarterback situation in the AFC South, with Lawrence establishing himself as a true franchise signal-caller last season. Beathard is a trusty backup for Jacksonville, a six-year veteran who has been a close confidant for Lawrence.

Running backs (5): Travis Etienne Jr., Tank Bigsby, JaMycal Hasty, D'Ernest Johnson, Derek Parish (FB)

This is one of the deepest positions on the roster, and the Jaguars could have more of a power run game in 2023. Bigsy's bruising running style between the tackles should offer a nice complement as a No. 2 option to Etienne, who's explosive outside the tackles.

Wide receivers (6): Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Jamal Agnew, Parker Washington, Jaray Jenkins

Jacksonville lost Marvin Jones in free agency, but the wide receiver room should be even stronger in 2023 with Ridley, who was reinstated into the NFL earlier this spring. He's a bona fide No. 1 receiver who will take pressure off of Kirk and Jones, both of whom had more than 80 receptions last season.

Tight ends (3): Evan Engram, Brenton Strange, Luke Farrell

Engram is still the top tight end, but Strange bolsters the room and could be used alongside Engram in multiple tight end sets. The former Penn State standout should be able to make an early impact as a blocker and grow in time as a pass-catcher.

Parish, a fullback, is another tight end option.

Top 10 QBs of 2023

Colin Cowherd kicked off the offseason in February by revealing his top 10 quarterbacks heading into next season, including Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence in the top half.

Offensive line (10): Walker Little, Ben Bartch, Luke Fortner, Brandon Scherff, Anton Harrison, Coy Cronk, Cole Van Lanen, Tyler Shatley, Josh Wells, Cooper Hodges

Suspended (1): Cam Robinson*

* won't count against 53-man roster

The impact felt by Jawaan Taylor's departure to Kansas City in free agency is to be determined. Jacksonville plans to start Harrison, its first-round pick, in his place at right tackle, but it's not uncommon to see rookie offensive linemen struggle.

A former second-round pick, Little is slated to be the team's left tackle to start the season, with Robinson expected to face a multiple-game suspension for PEDs. And it's possible that Robinson won't be on the roster after 2023 anyway. He has no guaranteed money in his contract for 2024 and the Jaguars would save $17.75 million against the salary cap by releasing him next offseason, according to Over The Cap. So the team will get a look early at its bookend tackles for the future.

Defensive line (10): Folorunso Fatukasi, DaVon Hamilton, Roy Robertson-Harris, Josh Allen, Travon Walker, K'Lavon Chaisson, Tyler Lacy, Yasir Abdullah, Shaquille Quarterman, Adam Gotsis

The pass rush remains the biggest question mark up front. The Jaguars extended one of their key defensive linemen in Robertson-Harris — he was set to enter a contract year — but they've made no significant additions to the room, and they lost Arden Key to the Titans. Dawuane Smoot, who tore his Achilles late last season, remains a free agent.

Allen and Walker, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft, will be expected to make major jumps in 2023. The 6-foot-1 Abdullah figures to play more of a factor on special teams, but his production in college suggests he could be a good sub-package speed rusher. He had 19.5 total sacks his last two seasons at Louisville.

Inside linebackers (5): Devin Lloyd, Foyesade Oluokun, Chad Muma, Ventrell Miller, Caleb Johnson

Another strong position for the Jaguars. As a 2022 first-round pick, Lloyd is expected to make a Year 2 jump. Muma can start games if needed (as he did as a rookie). He and Johnson were two of Jacksonville's best special teams players last season.

Defensive backs (9): Tyson Campbell, Rayshawn Jenkins, Andre Cisco, Darious Williams, Tre Herndon, Andrew Wingard, Antonio Johnson, Christian Braswell, Erick Hallett II

There's an infusion of rookies — Johnson, Braswell and Hallett — to solidify the back end of a secondary that has the same frontline players as a year ago (Campbell, Jenkins, Cisco, Williams, Herndon).

Specialists: Riley Patterson (PK), Logan Cooke (P), Ross Matiscik (LS), Jamal Agnew (PR, KR)

Same specialists as a year ago. Agnew, one of the best returners in football, made his first Pro Bowl last season.

Big picture

The Jaguars remain the clear favorites in the AFC South entering 2023. They're returning 20 of 22 starters and have a massive rookie draft class coming in to round out the depth of the roster.

How far Jacksonville goes in a loaded AFC, though, could ultimately depend on the development of Lawrence and Walker, the No. 1 overall picks in the 2021 and 2022 drafts, respectively. Lawrence needs to continue ascending as a franchise quarterback, and Walker must show that he can become a top-end pass rusher.

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

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