Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville carries $51.2M in dead money (9th most in the league) but several cut candidates can free meaningful space, and committed costs drop sharply in later seasons, giving this roster a clear path to flexibility.

15 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Eight starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Jacksonville holds seven picks in the upcoming draft, all in the first round, and three first-rounders across the three-year horizon, making this one of the better-stocked pipelines in the league for a team that already has a franchise quarterback.

The roster's top strength is its pass-rush duo of Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker off the edges, while the interior defensive line and WILL linebacker spots represent the weakest areas on the depth chart.

• DThigh

  The interior defensive line is a glaring weakness, ranked 31st at the starter spot and 28th in depth, with Arik Armstead leading a thin group.

• FShigh

  Caleb Ransaw starts at free safety but the position ranks 28th in starter quality, making an upgrade at the top of the depth chart a clear priority.

• HBhigh

  Bhayshul Tuten starts at a position that ranks dead last in starter quality league-wide, making running back the most urgent offensive need.

• RThigh

  Anton Harrison mans the right tackle spot but the position ranks 28th in starter quality, leaving a significant gap on the offensive line.

• TEhigh

  Brenton Strange starts at a position that ranks 24th at the starter level and 29th in depth, making tight end an area that needs reinforcement.

• WILLhigh

  Ventrell Miller starts at WILL linebacker, a position that ranks 31st in starter quality and 23rd in depth, representing a serious liability.

• LGmedium

  Emmanuel Pregnon starts at left guard, where the starter ranks 25th but the depth ranks an impressive 4th, making this a medium-term rather than immediate concern.

• LTmedium

  Walker Little starts at left tackle with the position ranking 24th in starter quality, though the depth behind him ranks 2nd in the league.

• WRmedium

  The receiver group ranks 25th at the starter level despite solid names at the top, pointing to a need for more reliable playmakers.

• Clow

  Robert Hainsey starts at center, a low-severity need ranked 20th at the starter level but 8th in depth, suggesting the depth chart is more solid than the starter alone indicates.

• 73DaVon HamiltonDTDaVon Hamilton is a backup DT behind Armstead and Ruke Orhorhoro at 73 overall, and releasing him frees $7.4M against $5.0M in dead money, making it a reasonable savings at a position slated for overhaul anyway.Frees $7.4M · $5.0M dead
• 76Arik ArmsteadDTArik Armstead starts at DT but is 32 and at 76 overall, and cutting him frees $14.0M against only $5.4M in dead money, providing the largest single cap relief on the roster to reinvest at the position.Frees $14.0M · $5.4M dead
• 77Walker LittleLTWalker Little starts at left tackle but Anton Harrison is also on the roster at the same position, and releasing Little frees $7.5M against $7.0M in dead money, a modest net gain for a redundant spot.Frees $7.5M · $7.0M dead
• 65Matt DickersonDTMatt Dickerson sits third on the DT depth chart at just 65 overall and releasing him frees $1.3M against only $150K in dead money, a clean cut with almost no cap penalty.Frees $1.3M · $150.0K dead
• 63Quintin MorrisTEQuintin Morris is the third tight end at 63 overall, provides minimal depth value, and releasing him frees $1.4M against $600K in dead money.Frees $1.4M · $600.0K dead

Jacksonville enters this era with a clear identity at the most important positions: Trevor Lawrence at 26 gives the offense a long runway, Josh Hines-Allen anchors a defense that is more competitive than its interior line suggests, and Travis Hunter (23, Superstar dev) projects as a cornerback standout for a decade. The receiving corps has legitimate contributors in Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, and Brian Thomas Jr., though Meyers is entering the later stage of his career and will need Washington and Thomas to take on larger roles in time. The backfield and tight end room are the most underdeveloped units, with no clear bell-cow runner and a thin group behind Brenton Strange at tight end. On defense, the interior line is the critical rebuild target, and the WILL linebacker spot is a liability. Jourdan Lewis is a quality starter but is among the oldest at his position and succession at cornerback must be addressed alongside Hunter's continued development. The cap carries notable dead money at $51.2M (9th most in the league), but upcoming committed money drops sharply in later seasons, creating financial flexibility to address holes through free agency as well as through Jacksonville's strong upcoming draft haul.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were awarded to Jacksonville, Florida on November 30, 1993 as the NFL's 30th franchise, under principal owner Wayne Weaver, and began play in 1995 alongside the Carolina Panthers. Placed in the AFC Central (moving to the AFC South upon 2002 realignment), the expansion Jaguars enjoyed one of the great early runs in NFL history under first head coach Tom Coughlin: after a 4-12 debut, they reached the AFC Championship Game in just their second season (1996), upsetting the Bills and Broncos on the road. They made the playoffs four straight years (1996-99), won AFC Central titles in 1998 and 1999, and posted a franchise-best 14-2 regular-season record in 1999 before losing the AFC title game to Tennessee. Salary-cap problems and Coughlin's 2002 firing ushered in leaner years; the Jack Del Rio era produced playoff berths in 2005 and 2007 but no division titles. The bright exception was 2017, when Doug Marrone and the top-ranked 'Sacksonville' defense rode to the AFC South title and within a whisker of the Super Bowl, losing 24-20 at New England. The current era began with the No. 1 overall selection of Trevor Lawrence in 2021; after the brief Urban Meyer tenure, Lawrence led an AFC South title and a memorable playoff comeback in 2022 under Doug Pederson. Pederson was fired after 2024; the team hired Liam Coen in January 2025 and immediately vaulted back to prominence with a 13-4 AFC South championship in 2025. The Jaguars have made the playoffs nine times, won five division titles (1998, 1999, 2017, 2022, 2025), and reached three AFC Championship Games (1996, 1999, 2017), but remain one of four franchises, along with Cleveland, Detroit, and Houston, never to appear in a Super Bowl.