Top 25 Jaguars Countdown: Ezra Cleveland Lands at No. 24

The veteran guard signed a new deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason.

Oct 15, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings guard Ezra Cleveland (72) blocks against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

In a little over two months, the Jacksonville Jaguars will kick off the 2024 season in hopes of shedding away the nightmare that was 2023.

In the Jaguars' pursuit of an AFC South title and a spot in the playoffs, the Jaguars will need the core of their roster to help propel them past the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, and the rest of the opponents on their schedule.

But who are those players? Which players will be the ones who decide whether the Jaguars find their way back to playoffs?

We will attempt to answer that question in two series. One series will begin in July, while the other will continue until Week 1.

So ... who are the top 25 players on the Jaguars roster ahead of 2024? We break it down below.

No. 24: Ezra Cleveland

It was hardly a surprise to see the Jaguars work hard to extend Ezra Cleveland before the start of free agency. The Jaguars gave up draft capital for Cleveland last season, trading a 2024 sixth-round pick for the former Minnesota Vikings starter.

The Jaguars opted to sign Cleveland to a three-year, $24 million deal with $14.25 million in guarantees this March, with the thought that the best is yet to come for the former second-round pick. And based on how last season went for Cleveland, it isn't hard to single it out as a potential blip and not a trend.

Cleveland started five games with the Jaguars in 2024, including one game at left tackle against the Cleveland Browns and Myles Garrett after injuries to Cam Robinson and Walker Little. Cleveland, who battled injuries in Minnesota, then fought injuries of his own as the Jaguars began to slide during the second-half of the season.

Cleveland showed flashes before his injuries, with his final 2023 numbers having him ranked No. 19 out of 50 eligible guards (at least 100 snaps) in terms of blown block rate and No. 20 in pass blown block rate. In short, Cleveland was a top-20 left guard during 2023 despite injuries and playing multiple positions.

"And I mean, for Ezra Cleveland to come in -- we trade for him as a guard. And then on a Wednesday, us go, 'Hey you're gonna go play left tackle against Myles Garrett'. And he was like, 'Okay'," Jaguars offensive line coach Phil Rauscher said earlier this month.

"And then Blake Hance, you're gonna go in there as soon as he gets hurt and go play. And like, that's hard. Now, do we got to do it better? You damn right we do. You know what I mean? That's the profession we've chosen. We've got to play the best football we can and try to win the championship. But at the end of the day, we got to just keep on rolling. So yeah, that's football."

Our top 25 list so far ...

No. 25: Logan Cooke

No. 24: Ezra Cleveland

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