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With the 2026 NFL draft just about here, let's run through where the Jacksonville Jaguars' priorities should lie by ranking from 10 to 1 the team's positional needs.
With 11 picks in this year's draft, including four in the top 100, GM James Gladstone has quite a bit of flexibility. This positions him to take the best player available rather than feeling like he must address a certain need at a specific point.
So the order in which he addresses the Jaguars' positions of need can, of course, vary, and the board will largely dictate which direction he goes. But given the current construction of the roster, here is how each position group stacks up.
Perhaps the Jaguars add a quarterback to compete with Carter Bradley for QB3 role, but this position is a non-need with Trevor Lawrence.
I fully expect the Jaguars to add to this room. The Jaguars' pursuit of Jake Bobo tells us that Gladstone is interested in bolstering this unit. However, with Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., and Travis Hunter leading the way, adding a wideout isn't a must by any means, although the depth beyond this group can be improved.
This is a popular pick for the Jaguars in mock drafts, and an addition is certainly in play. However, with five backs on the roster already, and Chris Rodriguez, Bhayshul Tuten, and LeQuint Allen at the top of the depth chart, the Jaguars aren't hurting here either. For a team that wants to draft and develop, at some point you have to see what your young backs -- Tuten and Allen -- can do.
This position is in a similar spot for me as running back. I do not believe that addressing it is a must. Antonio Johnson and Eric Murray can start, while Caleb Ransaw and Rayuan Lane provide depth.
I do expect the Jaguars to add here. The run game this season has to improve, and that starts with the play up front. We also saw last summer how the Jaguars really embraced competition within this unit, and there is no reason to think that will change this year. That said, the Jaguars didn't experience any roster turnover this offseason. The starters and key backups are all returning.
Adding Montaric Brown back into the mix greatly reduced the Jaguars' need to address the cornerback position. He and Travis Hunter will start on the outside, Jourdan Lewis will be at the nickel, while Jarrian Jones provides experienced depth. I would guess we still see Gladstone add to this position in the draft, but no longer does doing so right away feel like a must.
While Jacksonville is set up well here for 2026, the draft is about planning ahead, and as of now, Brenton Strange, Quintin Morris, and Hunter Long are all free agents in 2027 -- although Strange is expected to return. An addition here could either compete with Long for the TE3 role or take on more of a developmental role in Year 1. ESPN's Jordan Reid wrote that tight end is one of the positions that the Jaguars are "expected to target right away on Day 2."
With Devin Lloyd now in Carolina, the starting spot next to Foye Oluokun is up for grabs. And while GM James Gladstone seems bullish about the talent already on the Jaguars' roster at linebacker, particularly Ventrell Miller, adding some additional competition wouldn't be a bad thing either.
More depth and competition behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are needed. The only other players under contract currently are BJ Green and Danny Striggow.
Just like at defensive end, more depth is needed at this position. The Jaguars also need more pass-rush juice from the interior. While the Jaguars boasted the NFL's stingiest run defense last season, Jacksonville ranked 18th in pressure rate and 27th in sacks.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2026 NFL draft: From 10 to 1, ranking Jaguars positions of need
Continue reading...
With 11 picks in this year's draft, including four in the top 100, GM James Gladstone has quite a bit of flexibility. This positions him to take the best player available rather than feeling like he must address a certain need at a specific point.
So the order in which he addresses the Jaguars' positions of need can, of course, vary, and the board will largely dictate which direction he goes. But given the current construction of the roster, here is how each position group stacks up.
10. Quarterback
Perhaps the Jaguars add a quarterback to compete with Carter Bradley for QB3 role, but this position is a non-need with Trevor Lawrence.
9. Wide receiver
I fully expect the Jaguars to add to this room. The Jaguars' pursuit of Jake Bobo tells us that Gladstone is interested in bolstering this unit. However, with Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., and Travis Hunter leading the way, adding a wideout isn't a must by any means, although the depth beyond this group can be improved.
8. Running back
This is a popular pick for the Jaguars in mock drafts, and an addition is certainly in play. However, with five backs on the roster already, and Chris Rodriguez, Bhayshul Tuten, and LeQuint Allen at the top of the depth chart, the Jaguars aren't hurting here either. For a team that wants to draft and develop, at some point you have to see what your young backs -- Tuten and Allen -- can do.
7. Safety
This position is in a similar spot for me as running back. I do not believe that addressing it is a must. Antonio Johnson and Eric Murray can start, while Caleb Ransaw and Rayuan Lane provide depth.
6. Offensive line
I do expect the Jaguars to add here. The run game this season has to improve, and that starts with the play up front. We also saw last summer how the Jaguars really embraced competition within this unit, and there is no reason to think that will change this year. That said, the Jaguars didn't experience any roster turnover this offseason. The starters and key backups are all returning.
5. Cornerback
Adding Montaric Brown back into the mix greatly reduced the Jaguars' need to address the cornerback position. He and Travis Hunter will start on the outside, Jourdan Lewis will be at the nickel, while Jarrian Jones provides experienced depth. I would guess we still see Gladstone add to this position in the draft, but no longer does doing so right away feel like a must.
4. Tight end
While Jacksonville is set up well here for 2026, the draft is about planning ahead, and as of now, Brenton Strange, Quintin Morris, and Hunter Long are all free agents in 2027 -- although Strange is expected to return. An addition here could either compete with Long for the TE3 role or take on more of a developmental role in Year 1. ESPN's Jordan Reid wrote that tight end is one of the positions that the Jaguars are "expected to target right away on Day 2."
3. Linebacker
With Devin Lloyd now in Carolina, the starting spot next to Foye Oluokun is up for grabs. And while GM James Gladstone seems bullish about the talent already on the Jaguars' roster at linebacker, particularly Ventrell Miller, adding some additional competition wouldn't be a bad thing either.
2. Defensive end
More depth and competition behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are needed. The only other players under contract currently are BJ Green and Danny Striggow.
1. Defensive tackle
Just like at defensive end, more depth is needed at this position. The Jaguars also need more pass-rush juice from the interior. While the Jaguars boasted the NFL's stingiest run defense last season, Jacksonville ranked 18th in pressure rate and 27th in sacks.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2026 NFL draft: From 10 to 1, ranking Jaguars positions of need
Continue reading...
