When roster cuts start coming down, there’s always one or two names that make you do a double take. For the 2026 Jacksonville Jaguars, the most vulnerable players might not be the obvious ones - and a few recent additions could find themselves squeezed out.
That’s the reality for a roster that already has most of its spots spoken for. There may not be a truly shocking move in the end, but there are three newer pieces of the puzzle who could end up on the wrong side of the numbers.
One of them is linebacker Jalen McLeod. Jacksonville took McLeod in the sixth round in 2025, but he never got a chance to play as a rookie because of injury.
He did close training camp and the preseason well, yet his overall showing was uneven. The problem is the room around him: Yasir Abdullah and Jahlani Tavai bring special teams value, and that could tilt the competition in their favor.
Chuma Edoga is in a tougher spot than his versatility might suggest. He can line up at guard or tackle, which is usually the kind of flexibility that helps a player stick.
But the return of Cole Van Lanen and the recent trade for Daniel Faalele may have pushed Edoga toward the edge. Jacksonville already has Wyatt Milum and Walker Little as tackle depth, while Little, Faalele, Milum, and Jonah Monheim can all handle guard.
If Edoga makes the team, it may mean the Jaguars go with a 10th offensive tackle - and that could be a spot they’d rather spend somewhere else.
Then there’s defensive end Zach Durfee. The expectation here is that Durfee does make it, but Bryan Thomas Jr.’s preseason play has at least made that conversation a little less straightforward.
With five spots in that position group likely already spoken for, only one opening may remain between Durfee and Thomas Jr. The question for James Gladstone is whether he values Durfee’s steadiness or Thomas Jr.’s flashes more.
In Other News...
Jaguars May Not Be Done Losing Young Defensive Talent
Several players the Jaguars moved on from as they work toward finalizing the roster could quickly resurface elsewhere, with a few names standing out as possible waiver claims around the league. Linebackers Jack Kiser and Jalen McLeod, along with cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, are the kinds of young defenders teams often keep tabs on at this stage, especially when special teams value can help push a player onto the 53-man edge.
There is also a separate layer to watch with veterans Chuma Edoga and Nick Mullens, both of whom are free agents because they have more than four accrued NFL seasons. For Jacksonville, the bigger issue is that the talent drain may not be finished yet, since players with upside and role-player utility can still draw attention before the dust settles on roster cuts. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Just Raised A Bigger Tight End Question Than Fans Expected
Patrick Herberts brief run in Jacksonville ended this week when the tight end signed with the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad after being waived by the Jaguars. Herbert, an undrafted rookie in 2025, spent last season on the Jaguars practice squad and had earned a reserve/future contract with the team in January, making him part of the offseason mix heading into camp.
Herberts departure leaves a little more uncertainty around the back end of Jacksonvilles tight end room, where every practice rep tends to matter as teams sort out depth and roles. He had two catches for 12 yards in the preseason before moving on, and now the Jaguars will have to keep sorting through the position without a young player who had been around the building and knew the system. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars GM Just Clarified The Logic Behind Key Roster Decisions
James Gladstone spent a good part of Sept. 1 laying out the thinking behind a busy stretch of Jaguars roster management, using a news conference to walk through the trade for quarterback Quinn Ewers, the clubs choices along the defensive line and at linebacker, and the decision to bring Nick Mullens onto the practice squad. He also touched on ongoing contract discussions with Parker Washington, while making it clear the front office has been encouraged by what it has seen from the young receivers and the undrafted edge rushers who forced their way onto the roster.
For Jacksonville, the timing matters as much as the transactions. The team is moving into its regular-season routine with the 2026 opener on the horizon, and Gladstones comments offered a glimpse into how the Jaguars are trying to balance immediate depth with longer-term roster building. What he did not completely close the door on, though, was how those receiver talks and other late personnel choices might still shape the opening stretch of the season. [Read more 🡒]