The Jacksonville Jaguars’ initial 53-man roster for 2026 comes with a noticeable fresh face count, and the biggest shakeup is spread across both sides of the ball.
Start at quarterback, where Quinn Ewers has taken over as the backup behind the starter, replacing Nick Mullens from last year’s opening roster. The running back group has also been reshaped after the departure of Travis Etienne Jr, with Chris Rodriguez and Ameer Abdullah stepping in.
Wide receiver brings a mix of continuity and new blood. Jakobi Meyers was not on last season’s initial roster because Jacksonville acquired him during the year, and this time he’s joined by two rookie additions: sixth-round picks CJ Williams and Josh Cameron.
Tight end is one of the most overhauled spots on the roster. Brenton Strange is the lone holdover from the three tight ends Jacksonville carried last year, while the Jaguars now list four at the position.
The newcomers are Nate Boerkircher, Tanner Koziel, and Quintin Morris. Boerkircher was the team’s second-round pick in the most recent draft, Koziel went in the fifth round, and Morris spent last season starting on Jacksonville’s practice squad before getting elevated and appearing in 14 games.
There are also changes up front on offense. Rookie third-round pick Emmanuel Pregnon is expected to start at left guard, and Daniel Faalele arrives after four years with the Baltimore Ravens to provide depth.
On defense, Jacksonville did not add any new cornerbacks to the initial 53, but the safety group features two newcomers in Caleb Ransaw and Jalen Huskey. Ransaw was a third-round pick in 2025 but spent the entire season on injured reserve, so he was not on the active initial 53 last year. Huskey came in as a third-round pick in this year’s draft.
Linebacker is thinner this season, with the Jaguars carrying five instead of the six they had in 2025. The two new names there are Branson Combs and Jahlani Tavai.
Combs, like Morris, opened last season on the practice squad before being elevated during the year. Tavai is entering his eighth NFL season after two years with the Detroit Lions and the past five with the New England Patriots.
The biggest turnover comes along the defensive line, where Jacksonville has five new players on the initial roster: Bryan Thomas Jr, Albert Regis, Wesley Williams, Ruke Orhorhoro and Matt Dickerson. Thomas Jr is the only undrafted rookie to make the team. Williams was a fourth-round pick, Regis went in the third round, Orhorhoro was acquired in a trade in April, and Dickerson is another player who spent time on Jacksonville’s practice squad last year before moving up to the active roster mid-season.
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General manager James Gladstone said the adjustment was designed to provide financial flexibility for possible roster additions or extensions down the line. Jacksonvilles cap space now sits at $14.22 million, a healthier position than earlier in the offseason, and it leaves the door open for something bigger if the right opportunity surfaces. [Read more 🡒]
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It also keeps the football calendar moving in a way that should feel familiar enough for fans around here, even as the timing changes. College football already got underway on Saturday, Aug. 29, with Florida State opening its season, and Florida is set to play Sept. 5, so the stretch from late summer into early September is already packed before the NFL even gets its first whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Suddenly Changed Course Behind Trevor Lawrence For One Big Reason
The Jaguars made a quick pivot behind Trevor Lawrence ahead of cutdown day, sending a 2028 sixth-round pick to Miami for quarterback Quinn Ewers. The move gives Jacksonville a new No. 2 quarterback and reshapes the depth chart at a spot the team wanted to stabilize before the roster deadline, with Nick Mullens no longer on the active roster after being released.
James Gladstone praised Mullens for the way he handled the situation, noting his professionalism and value to the team as Jacksonville kept him around on the practice squad. For the Jaguars, the transaction was less about the price tag than the protection it provides if Lawrence ever needs help, and it leaves one of the more interesting backup-spot decisions of the summer in a new place. [Read more 🡒]