After six training camp practices, the Jaguars’ defense is starting to settle into place. There’s still plenty of runway left - several more weeks of work and three preseason games - but the early pecking order is beginning to show up across the board.
At defensive end, Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are locked into the top two spots. Behind them, Danny Striggow and BJ Green seem to have the edge in the rotational race, while rookies Wesley Williams and Zach Durfee are still trying to close the gap.
Bryan Thomas Jr. and Quindarius Dunnigan round out the group. Durfee, a late Day 3 pick whose roster spot was never a given, has done enough early to keep himself in the mix.
Defensive tackle looks more straightforward, with the top five spots on the depth chart appearing fairly set. The real question there is whether Dickerson does enough to claim the fifth spot, or whether Jacksonville keeps only four tackles.
Linebacker is where the competition gets interesting. Foye Oluokun sits at the top, but Ventrell Miller, Dennis Gardeck, Jack Kiser, Branson Combs, Jalen McLeod, Parker Hughes, Yasir Abdullah and Jared Bartlett are all in the picture.
Combs and Miller are battling for the starting job next to Oluokun. If the Jaguars carry six linebackers again, as they did last summer, then Hughes, McLeod and Abdullah could be fighting for just one roster opening.
Kiser, who was hurt early in camp, is expected back at some point.
The cornerback group has a familiar-looking top end, led by Travis Hunter, Montaric Brown, Jourdan Lewis and Jarrian Jones. Jabbar Muhammad, Christian Braswell, Presont Hodge, Devon Marshall, Keni-H Lovely and Corey Ballentine are also in the mix.
Muhammad has kept stacking good practices and looks increasingly secure on the final roster. Braswell still hasn’t practiced because of an injury, and Hodge is one to keep an eye on after a strong spring.
Safety appears to be the least complicated part of the defense. The first five players in that group look set to make the 53-man roster, while Lane seems to have moved ahead of Huskey on defense. That lines up with Lane’s year of experience in Anthony Campanile’s system.
In Other News...
Jaguars Camp Just Exposed A Growing Problem Up Front
The Jaguars eighth training camp practice on Aug. 7 had the feel of a mid-summer checkpoint, with fans on hand for a mock game and plenty of familiar names showing up in the action. Trevor Lawrence, Brian Thomas Jr. and Montaric Brown all had their moments, but the offense also had its rough spots, with penalties piling up and kicks drifting off target as the day went on.
What stood out most, though, was the state of the offensive line. Several players up front were already dealing with injuries, leaving the unit thinner than ideal at a point in camp when cohesion matters most, and that shortage only sharpened the sense that Jacksonville is trying to sort through more than just assignments and technique. For a team hoping to build rhythm on offense, the health of the line has become a problem worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Salary Hierarchy Says A Lot About This Roster Build
The Jaguars payroll tells the story of how this roster has been built, and it starts up front and on the edge. Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker sit near the top of the salary hierarchy, a clear sign that Jacksonville has invested heavily in pass rush as a foundation piece, while Jakobi Meyers and Cole Van Lanen round out a top five that reflects just how many different ways the front office has tried to fill out the roster around its core.
There is also a draft-history thread running through that group, which makes the contract list more than just a snapshot of spending. It points to a franchise trying to balance homegrown talent, outside additions and long-term commitments, even as the exact shape of the roster keeps evolving. For a team still defining its identity, the money says plenty about where the Jaguars believe the most important pieces need to come from. [Read more 🡒]