JACKSONVILLE — The Jacksonville Jaguars finalized their 53-player roster by the NFL’s Sunday deadline, carrying 25 offensive players, 26 defensive players and three specialists into the 2026 regular season with second-year standout Travis Hunter listed on both offense and defense.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, entering his sixth season as the Jaguars’ starter, anchors a roster that reflects significant offseason turnover at multiple positions. Lawrence finished fifth in Associated Press Most Valuable Player balloting last season with a franchise-record 38 touchdowns — 29 passing and nine rushing. Backing him up is Quinn Ewers, acquired in a trade with the Miami Dolphins on Saturday after completing 55 of 83 passes for 622 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions as a seventh-round rookie.
The Jaguars’ offensive skill positions underwent substantial reshaping. Running backs Bhayshul Tuten, who rushed for 307 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie, and Chris Rodriguez Jr., who signed as a restricted free agent after rushing for 500 yards and six touchdowns with the Washington Commanders, are listed as co-starters. The wide receiver corps features Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr. as the starting trio, with Hunter — the No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft — expected to play a significant offensive role despite focusing mainly on defense late in training camp.
The offensive line saw notable movement, with left tackle Anton Harrison shifting from right tackle after starting on the right side from 2022 through 2024, and Cole Van Lanen moving to right tackle after finishing 2025 on the left side. Rookie Emmanuel Pregnon, a third-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, worked with the starters during the final two weeks of camp. The Jaguars also acquired Daniel Faalele in a training camp trade with the New York Giants.
Defensively, the Jaguars return one of the NFL’s top edge-rushing duos in Josh Hines-Allen, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, and Travon Walker, who recorded double-digit sacks in both 2023 and 2024. Undrafted rookie Bryan Thomas Jr. registered 3.5 sacks in three preseason games. At nose tackle, DaVon Hamilton enters his seventh season after emerging as one of the league’s top players at the position, while Ruke Orhorhoro arrived via an offseason trade with the Atlanta Falcons.
Tight end Brenton Strange, who signed a contract extension in the offseason, headlines a four-man group that includes second-round pick Nate Boerkircher and fifth-round selection Tanner Koziol — the first time in franchise history the Jaguars selected two tight ends in the same draft. The team traded Hunter Long to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
The Jaguars waived or released dozens of players to reach the 53-man limit, including waiving/injuring quarterback Carter Bradley and placing rookie seventh-round defensive end Zach Durfee on injured reserve designated to return. NFL teams may carry 16 practice-squad players, with six allowed to be veterans of any experience, and 17 if one is part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program.