3 bold predictions for Jaguars in 2026 NFL draft
· Yahoo Sports
Day 1 of the 2026 NFL draft has arrived, and although the Jacksonville Jaguars are not scheduled to be on the clock on Thursday, let's make a few predictions for the upcoming days.
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With 11 selections in total, GM James Gladstone has quite a bit of flexibility. He can move up and down the draft board as needed, and can truly take the best player available over prioritizing a specific positional need at a certain point in the draft.
That makes predicting what the Jaguars are going to do, which is already a difficult task, all the more challenging. But let's take a swing and make three predictions for the Jaguars over the next three days.
Jaguars pick an OL and TE in the top 100
Neither of these positions is classified as a pressing need for the Jaguars, but the recipe for Gladstone to make an early round pick at each does seem to exist.
At tight end, the Jaguars have only four players under contract currently, with Brenton Strange, Quintin Morris, and Hunter Long all being free agents in 2027 -- although Strange is expected to return. Also, 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."
Along the offensive line, the Jaguars didn't experience any roster turnover this offseason. However, this is another position where several starters and role players could end up elsewhere in 2027. We also saw last summer that the Jaguars really want to embrace competition up front, and there is no reason to think that won't happen again.
With four picks between Rounds 2 and 3, the Jaguars can go in several different directions with those selections.
Jaguars don't take a running back until Round 6 or after
Running back has been a popular pick for the Jaguars in mock drafts, and understandably so with Travis Etienne in New Orleans. That said, the Jaguars do still have Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen, both of whom were just drafted last April, and the team signed Chris Rodriguez. With Ja'Quinden Jackson and DeeJay Dallas, the Jaguars also have five running backs on the roster already.
While an addition could still be justified, the top three spots on the depth chart seem to be locked in, so I just do not see running back being a priority. 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.
Jaguars pick four defensive linemen
Between the defensive end and the defensive tackle positions, the Jaguars need more depth -- between the two position groups, there are only nine players under contract right now -- more competition for rotational roles, and an additional pass rush presence. Jacksonville ranked 18th in pressure rate and 27th in sacks.
With 11 picks, the Jaguars have the ability to address this unit heavily.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2026 NFL draft: 3 predictions for Jacksonville Jaguars