The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to square off against the Carolina Panthers in the team's second preseason game, first at home, Friday at 7:30 PM.

There will only be one preseason game left after this one, so players fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster are running out of time to separate themselves and prove they deserve to make the team. Friday night will be a pivotal opportunity for all who don't already have their jobs locked up for the upcoming season.

What are some of the main storylines to follow during Friday's game?

After not playing his starters in last Saturday's opener against the New Orleans Saints, head coach Liam Coen has not given a definitive answer as to whether they will see any action in this game.

It looked like Coen was leaning towards playing the starters this week after they didn't have a great showing during their joint practice with the Saints. However, after Wednesday's dominant showing by the starters in a joint practice with Carolina, especially the run game, it looks like Coen has changed his tune and is now leaning in the other direction.

With starters across the NFL rarely playing in their team's final preseason game, it appears that Jacksonville's starters will enter the regular season without seeing any preseason action at all. Hopefully, the joint practices and remaining team practices will have the starters ready to go for opening day.

Backup quarterback Nick Mullens had a dreadful showing last week against the Saints. He has not looked very good throughout the offseason, leading to concerns about whether the Jaguars should look to upgrade their QB2 spot. With options like Anthony Richardson and Mason Rudolph likely available in potential trades, Mullens needs a strong showing to quiet the growing whispers that the Jaguars may be better off finding a new backup for Trevor Lawrence.

The Jaguars have seen their offensive line decimated by injuries. Cole Van Lanen, who was expected to be the starting left tackle this season, was activated from the PUP list on Thursday after a late-season injury sidelined him all offseason. His immediate replacement, Walker Little, struggled to fill in for Van Lanen at LT and was replaced by Anton Harrison, who has been the team's starting right tackle the last three years.

It looks like Harrison's switch to LT is permanent, as he was listed as the starter there on Jacksonville's first depth chart. When CVL is ready, he will likely take over at RT.

Now, Little is also injured. As is guard Wyatt Milum, who was in the running to take over for starting right guard Patrick Mekari, who recently underwent back surgery and is expected to be out for a significant period. 

Milum is expected back next week, so at least that is a positive. Reserve Chuma Edoga also suffered an injury in the Jaguars' preseason opener and is still working his way back.

The beneficiary of all these injuries has undoubtedly been rookie Emmanuel Pregnon. Jacksonville's third-round pick was one of the few Jaguars' draft picks to receive high grades and had a very encouraging debut against the Saints. Pregnon may wind up as a Week 1 starter as a result of all these injuries. If he earns a starting job to open the season, it may be very difficult for anyone to wrestle it away from him.

The battle between Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs to win Devin Lloyd's starting linebacker job has not yet been settled. While the Jaguars' starters were rested last week, both Miller and Combs saw playing time as each continued his push to win the job.

Both will presumably be on the field against the Panthers. Will either be able to separate himself from the other?

With the regular season right around the corner, Friday night's game gives many players a key opportunity to prove their worth.

There are still several roster spots, and at least one starting job, up for grabs with only about three weeks to go before the real games begin. Many players will be looking to make a statement Friday night.

Hopefully, the players can all have a good showing, and the team can come out of Friday's game without suffering more injuries.