The Jacksonville Jaguars added to the quarterback room shortly after the NFL draft, and one analyst is calling it the “most fascinating” among undrafted free agent signees.
Former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar gives the Jaguars a fourth quarterback, and he will get a chance to prove himself at the upcoming rookie minicamp in May. Aguilar completed 67.3% of his passes for 3,565 yards and 24 touchdowns versus 10 interceptions for the Volunteers last season.
Jacksonville Jaguars on SI writer John Shipley broke down why this could be a big find for the team. It will “add some competition to the [quarterback] room when it comes to the third quarterback spot” though not likely for a 53-man roster spot, Shipley wrote.
“Carter Bradley held down the No. 3 quarterback spot on the Jaguars’ practice squad for most of last season, and there is no reason to think that adding a rookie to push him during the offseason and training camp can’t help the room,” Shipley wrote. “Either Aguilar pushes Bradley to the best version of himself and Bradley wins the job, or Aguilar proves his high ceiling and manages to win the gig.”
Shipley noted that Aguilar could help with in-house development for the Jaguars to have a long-term backup to Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars haven’t drafted a backup quarterback during Lawrence’s time, and Jacksonville has cycled through veteran backups, Shipley wrote.
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Shipley isn’t the only Jaguars analyst touting Aguilar’s potential.
Paul Bretl of USA Today’s Jaguars Wire believes Aguilar could land the third quarterback spot and be on the 53-man roster. As Bretl noted, Aguilar improved his completion rate last year despite moving up in competition from Appalachian State to Tennessee.
“Despite the elevated level of competition, Aguilar’s completion rate increased significantly” Bretl wrote. “He also created more big plays through the air, while throwing 24 touchdowns to 10 interceptions.”
Bretl envisions Aguilar challenging Bradley for the third quarterback spot. Aguilar also comes in as one of the most seasoned rookies at age 24 with seven years of college football experience under his belt.
“Last season, the Jaguars rostered only two quarterbacks on the 53-man, but perhaps Aguilar’s play could convince Liam Coen to keep three this year,” Bretl wrote.
AZ Sports’ Zach Ragan called it “a brilliant decision” for Aguilar to join the Jaguars. Ragan acknowledged that Aguilar “will have an uphill battle ahead of him to make the Jaguars’ 53-man roster” this year, but “this appears to be a favorable situation” for him.
Joey Aguilar Background
An Antioch, California, native, Aguilar became a prep star at Freedom High School in Oakley, and he worked his way up the college ranks despite no offers from college teams.
He first played community college football at City College of San Francisco between 2019 and 2020, followed by Diablo Valley from 2021 to 2022. Aguilar’s play elevated him to land with Appalachian State for two seasons, 2023 and 2024, before his year with Tennessee.
For his NCAA career, Aguilar threw for 10,325 yards and 80 touchdowns versus 34 picks, and he completed 62.4% of his passes.
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