The preseason is now in the rear-view mirror and the Jaguars are about to get to work on cutting their 89-man roster to 53 players. The team has until 4 p.m. EST on Saturday to make the necessary moves to reach the league-mandated roster number.
Here is my final 53-man roster prediction for the Jaguars:
QUARTERBACK (2, 2)
WHO'S IN: Blake Bortles, Cody Kessler
WHO'S OUT: Tanner Lee
THOUGHTS: The Jaguars are moving forward with Bortles as the team's starting quarterback this season after signing him to a three-year extension in February. Kessler has run away with the backup quarterback battle and should inspire confidence behind Bortles. Lee will most likely resurface on the practice squad.
RUNNING BACK (5, 7)
WHO'S IN: Leonard Fournette, T.J. Yeldon, Corey Grant (KR), Tim Cook, Tommy Bohanon (FB)
WHO'S OUT: Brandon Wilds
THOUGHTS: Fournette is the focal point of the Jaguars' offense. Behind him, the Jaguars should feel very comfortable with Yeldon and Grant. Bohanon returns as the team's starting fullback after shaking an early offseason injury. Cook is a wild card that may make the initial 53-man roster but it's close.
WIDE RECEIVER (5, 12)
WHO'S IN: Donte Moncrief, Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook, DJ Chark, Jaydon Mickens (PR)
WHO'S OUT: Rashad Greene, Shane Wynn, Dorren Miller, DeAndre Smelter, Montay Crockett, Allen Lazard
THOUGHTS: With Marqise Lee out for the season, Moncrief will have to step up as the veteran leader in the wide receiver room. Cole and Westbrook will probably start opposite Moncrief in three-wide receiver sets this season. All three will spend time in the slot. Chark had an impressive summer and should see some opportunities on offense and special teams. Mickens makes it over Greene, as he is the superior punt returner at this point.
TIGHT END (3, 15)
WHO'S IN: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, James O'Shaughnessy, Niles Paul
WHO'S OUT: Ben Koyack, Scott Orndoff, DeAndre Goolsby, David Grinnage
THOUGHTS: Seferian-Jenkins is the clear-cut starter, while Paul and O'Shaughnessy will probably rotate based on situational work. Koyack is a tough cut as the team's best blocking tight end.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE (5, 20)
WHO'S IN: Cam Robinson, Jermey Parnell, Josh Wells, William Poehls, Will Richardson
WHO'S OUT: Brandon Smith
THOUGHTS: Robinson and Parnell will hold onto their jobs as the starting bookends this season. The pair will be backed up by Wells and Poehls. Richardson could serve as the swing tackle in time but he still needs some development.
OFFENSIVE GUARD (3, 23)
WHO'S IN: Andrew Norwell, A.J. Cann, Chris Reed
WHO'S OUT: KC McDermott, Josh Walker, Michael Dunn
THOUGHTS: The Jaguars may go light at guard because Poehls can also play inside. Norwell is an upgrade at left guard and Cann has greatly improved this summer at right guard. Reed offers versatility, so he makes the team over Walker in a close battle.
CENTER (2, 25)
WHO'S IN: Brandon Linder, Tyler Shatley
WHO'S OUT: Tony Adams
THOUGHTS: Linder's status is up in the air with his current knee injury but Shatley has proven to be solid backup over the last two years. Reed can also play center if the Jaguars need insurance for either Linder or Shatley.
PHOTOS: Jaguars vs. Buccaneers preseason week 4
DEFENSIVE END (4*, 29)
WHO'S IN: Yannick Ngakoue, Calais Campbell, Dawuane Smoot, Lerentee McCray (Suspended List: Dante Fowler)
WHO'S OUT: Carroll Phillips, Darius Jackson, Hunter Dimick
THOUGHTS: Ngakoue and Campbell may be the best pass rushing pair in the league right now. Behind them, Smoot and McCray should be able to fill in accordingly. Smoot makes the roster with Fowler on the suspended list for Week 1. The group overall has very strong depth.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE (5, 34)
WHO'S IN: Malik Jackson, Marcell Dareus, Abry Jones, Taven Bryan, Eli Ankou
WHO'S OUT: Lyndon Johnson, Michael Bennett, Sealver Siliga
THOUGHTS: The Jaguars are stacked at the defensive tackle position heading into the regular season. While Jackson is set as the starting three-technique, Dareus and Jones will rotate at nose tackle. Bryan, who will also play big end, will also backup Jackson in the middle. The Jaguars decided to be patient with Ankou's knee injury so he has a chance of sticking around.
LINEBACKER (5, 39)
WHO'S IN: Telvin Smith, Myles Jack, Leon Jacobs, Blair Brown, Donald Payne
WHO'S OUT: Nick DeLuca, Manase Hungalu, Andrew Motuapuaka, Deon King, Reggie Hunter
THOUGHTS: The Jaguars are set with starting linebackers, Smith (WILL), Jack (MIKE) and Jacobs (SAM). Behind that trio is a duo of second-year linebackers who have enough upside to back up all three positions. Of the potential spots to look out for on the waiver wire, the linebacker position has to be the biggest for the Jaguars.
CORNERBACK (6, 45)
WHO'S IN: Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, D.J. Hayden, Tyler Patmon, Tre Herndon, Quenton Meeks
WHO'S OUT: Sammy Seamster, Jalen Myrick, Dee Delaney, Kenneth Acker, Bryce Canady, Charlie Miller
THOUGHTS: Ramsey and Bouye are the returning Pro Bowl cornerbacks who have established the Jaguars' secondary. Hayden will look to replace Aaron Colvin at the nickel position, while Patmon serves as the backup to all three starting spots. Herndon and Meeks have impressed throughout training camp and the preseason and should see roles on special teams.
SAFETY (5, 50)
WHO'S IN: Tashaun Gipson, Barry Church, Ronnie Harrison, Cody Davis, Jarrod Wilson
WHO'S OUT: C.J. Reavis
THOUGHTS: Gipson and Church will return as the starters at safety. Harrison and Davis are new additions and should serve well as backups. Davis and Wilson will probably have prominent roles on special teams.
SPECIALISTS (3, 53)
WHO'S IN: Carson Tinker (LS), Logan Cooke (P), Josh Lambo (K)
WHO'S OUT: N/A
THOUGHTS: The specialists have been set since the first week of training camp. Tinker and Lambo are proven commodities, while Cooke seems like a strong addition at punter.
Follow Mike Kaye on Twitter: @Mike_E_Kaye.