Doug Pederson: Jaguars’ Wide Receivers ‘Making It Hard on Us’ When Deciding Roster Spots

With players like Jacob Harris, Seth Williams, Kevin Austin Jr., and more making plays, the Jaguars will have tough decisions to make at wide receiver.

With the NFL preseason and training camps underway, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ coaching staff has some very difficult decisions looming regarding the 53-man roster. After initial viewings, the roster seems to have the best depth it has had in quite some time, including camp battles at numerous position groups.

Most of the starters are penciled in. However, position battles for backup spots are abundant. Some notable battles include running back, cornerback, safety and lastly receiver. Of the battles, it appears receiver might be the most competitive and difficult to decide.

The Jaguars currently have 13 receivers rostered, with six likely to make the final roster. While some may be later signed to the practice squad, there are not a lot of spots available, especially considering a few are already roster locks. It’s safe to assume that Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Jamal Agnew and Zay Jones will make the team.

As those four make up the majority of the openings, nine players will be battling all training camp to secure their spot. Rookie receiver Parker Washington also looks to be in a favorable spot going into week two of the preseason.

When asked about the position group, Jaguars’ head coach Doug Pederson says he is impressed with the group’s talent and competition, “This is what you love about training camp, you love the competition aspect of it, you love the backend guys that are competing for either that fifth or sixth roster spot or practice squad spots.”

Pederson went on to add, “They make it hard on us, that’s the one thing that I can appreciate about the effort that these guys have really given us all of training camp so far and it showed up in the game this past Saturday.”

On Saturday against the Cowboys, a couple players really stood out. Jacob Harris, a 4th round selection in 2021, made a fantastic 42-yard catch deep in Cowboys territory to give the Jags a 14-point lead. Elijah Cooks, an undrafted rookie out of San Jose State, also finished the game with 42 yards, hauling in two receptions on two targets, including a 36-yard grab.

Pederson commented on Harris’ sensational catch, stating “Jacob’s catch that set up a touchdown was pretty impressive.”

This week, the Jaguars head to Detroit for joint practices ahead of this weekend’s matchup against the Lions. Pederson has yet to decide the extent to which the starters will play, however, he looks forward to another viewing of the team and hopes to improve.

“I just want to make sure that they get enough of the game feel, the game reps, when the bullets are flying, that they’re prepared for week one in Indianapolis. It’s more about that, but this will be a big week and something that my message will resonate through the football team that we do have to start games faster,” Pederson said.

It is no doubt a tight race at receiver as realistically eight guys are fighting for a singular roster spot. In the first game, Harris, Cooks, and Jaray Jenkins really outshined their fellow teammates. The question now is, who steps up this week against an up-and-coming Detroit Lions roster?