Jaguars vs. Falcons: 5 Players to Watch

Which Jacksonville Jaguars will we have our eyes on tonight vs. the Atlanta Falcons?

Aug 17, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) makes a reception for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports / Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars will have one final chance to sharpen themselves ahead of Week 1 with a preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons set for Friday night.

With jobs on the line ahead of next week's roster cut down today, tonight's game will be the final major opportunity for each member of the Jaguars' 90-man squad to fight and show they belong on the 53-man roster.

With this in mind, which players are we going to keep our eyes on? We break it down below.

Parker Washington

Parker Washington is clearly not fighting for a spot on the Jaguars' 53-man roster after the kind of offseason and training camp he has had. After flashing as a rookie, the former sixth-round pick was one of the most impressive players in all of camp this year. So why is he on our watch list? Because tonight will be the first time we see him run with the starting offense and Trevor Lawrence in a game setting in 2024, since Christian Kirk is out with a calf injury. We've seen Washington's improvement firsthand. Now, we will see how that improvement meshes with the No. 1 quarterback.

“It's valuable. I mean, you look at the last five games last year when Christian missed. He got all the work there. I think he’d got a lot of confidence and gained confidence," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Monday. "He's stronger this year. He looks faster, quicker, all of that. He's just making the most of his opportunities and doing a nice job in the return game as well. He's been, as we've said, one of the bright spots at camp.”

Cole Van Lanen

PFF's highest-graded offensive player of preseason Week 2, Cole Van Lanen has made quite the argument for the 53-man roster. The Jaguars are in a tough spot because they seemingly have more offensive tackles suited for their roster than interior offensive linemen, but Van Lanen could serve as the No. 4 tackle ahead of rookie Javon Foster until the fourth-round pick is ready.

"He's done a great job really since the spring, of kind of just buying into everything we're trying to coach in the run game and protection world as well," Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said this week. "He's really flashing the run game for us on the backside of a lot of concepts and we've kind of noticed that from way back when. It's cool to see him play well in these preseason games as well.”

Chad Muma

We already know Chad Muma is making the roster; he is the team's top SAM linebacker and the top backup at both off-ball linebacker spots. But tonight will be a great chance to see how he is deployed in the starting defense. The Jaguars have talked up his versatility in coverage and rushing the passer, and tonight could serve as clear insight into what his role in 2024 will be. It certainly seems like Muma will have some kind of place in the starting defense.

"I think he's had a good camp, improved from the beginning of camp, made some plays the other night, which was really good to see in the run game and also covering some guys and out in space," Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen said earlier this month. "So that was really good. One of the things, we didn't rush Chad very much, but he provides some pass rush for us too, up the middle and also off the edge. Smart player, does a lot of jobs. Special teams, can play on the ball, stack back. We’re just continuing to get better with him, but he's doing a pretty good job.”

Montaric Brown

The Jaguars' top backup cornerback a year ago, Montaric Brown is likely fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster this year due to no fault of his own. The Jaguars added three new faces in the cornerback room with Ronald Darby, Jarrian Jones, and De'Antre Prince, while second-year cornerback Christian Braswell has been one of the highlights of camp. Braswell, Jones, and Darby seem like clear locks for the roster, while Prince is likely a safe bet as well considering the Jaguars used a fifth-round pick on him.

To make matters tougher, veteran defensive back Darnell Savage is playing almost exclusively slot cornerback. This means the Jaguars could roll with five cornerbacks on their 53-man roster but really have six if you count Savage. Brown has had a good camp, but he could be the odd man out simply as a result of the offseason additions. With a strong game on Friday, though, he could make that decision a lot tougher.

Myles Cole

Along with Brown, Myles Cole is another player who is probably fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster. The seventh-round rookie has, frankly, far surpassed most expectations for his first training camp, but the Jaguars also have seen flashes from both Trevis Gipson and D.J. Coleman. Trent Baalke doesn't like cutting rookie draft picks, but Cole may need a big night to set himself apart in the defensive end room.

“Kind of the same thing with the other D-linemen is the routine of learning how to be a pro. He’s done a really good job of getting in the weight room with our guys here, with Ced [Director of Strength and Conditioning Cedric Scott] and the strength coaches and really developing his body," Nielsen said this week.

"Seeing guys get stronger, getting more confident playing on the edge, using his hands. And then pass rush, he’s rushing the passer pretty good. When you watch him just come off the edge, and you just watch his snaps, he’s big, he’s long, he can dip and he can lean. So that combination, he’s doing a good job with that. We’ve still got to work on some other things, and a little bit ways to go, but he’s trending in the right direction.”

 

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