Several players came through for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the preseason opener. It ultimately wasn't enough to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it could help them either move up the depth chart or increase their odds of sticking around in 2025.
On the other hand, a handful of players didn't help themselves with an underwhelming showing in the preseason opener and could tumble down the depth chart or outright get the boot if they don't turn things around the next two weeks.
With this in mind, here are three players who see their stock plummet after the 31-25 loss to the Steelers.
DeAntre Prince, Jaguars cornerback
The Jaguars have a pretty good trio of cornerbacks in Tyson Campbell, Jourdan Lewis, and Jarrian Jones. Add Travis Hunter to the equation, and the top of the depth chart looks promising. The issue will be if any of them get hurt and/or have to miss extended time. With Montaric Brown out for a while, the depth at the position doesn't look nearly as promising.
Perhaps for that reason, Jacksonville signed Levi Wallace one week before the preseason. Unfortunately, things didn't go the way the team's brass planned, as the eight-year veteran landed on Injured Reserve just before the opener. That, in turn, opened an opportunity for the Jags' young corner to make an impression. Unfortunately, sophomore DeAntre Prince wasn't able to make the most of his chances.
Prince, a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft, ended up logging 27 defensive snaps, posting a subpar 40.0 Pro Football Focus overall grade. The reason for his low mark was that he gave up four receptions on four targets for 73 yards. That kind of performance won't do him any favors when the front office is assessing the roster on cutdown day.
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Ricky Lee, Jaguars offensive lineman
Projected starting guard Patrick Mekari missed time early in training camp, so it made sense for the Jaguars to add veteran Ricky Lee as insurance.
An undrafted free agent in 2023, Lee signed with the Carolina Panthers and ended up playing six games as a rookie. He was waived before the start of the 2024 season and spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, the Cleveland Browns, and the New York Giants before landing with the Jags.
Already, the North Carolina A&T product was a long shot to make the 53-man roster, and he didn't help his case with an underwhelming performance in the preseason opener. The Jags allowed nine pressures against the Steelers, and he surrendered two of them, posting a 30.0 PFF pass-blocking grade along the way.
Myles Cole, Jaguars defensive end
One of the bright spots in the loss to the Steelers was defensive end Danny Striggow, who had a strip sack and got ample playing time on special teams. Following his encouraging performance, the undrafted rookie has better odds of making the team. On the other hand, sophomore Myles Cole couldn't take advantage of his chances.
A seventh-round pick in 2024, Cole logged 28 snaps on defense in the opener. He registered one pressure but also missed a tackle. This is a long-winded way to say that he didn't do much of note, and that may not help him earn a roster spot next season.
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