Good news for Jaguars and top positional needs in 2026 NFL draft
One NFL analyst highlighted edge rusher and linebacker as loaded draft positions, aligning with key needs for the Jaguars this offseason.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have made it clear this offseason that they are prioritizing the draft over free agency. James Gladstone will be going into the draft with an already-strong roster and 11 total picks, giving him a good degree of flexibility in who he chooses to sign. However, the Jaguars have also faced criticism for losing two of their star players — Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd — to free agency.
While Jacksonville already has Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen on the roster, they also signed Chris Rodriguez, likely addressing the hole left by Etienne. Linebacker, however, is still a position of need, one that has not yet been addressed. Because of this, the Jags have faced some level of criticism for their free-agency approach.
Critics have said that Jacksonville lost significant talent without a plan to replace them. Yet the biggest issues the Jaguars have on their roster — edge rusher and linebacker — have just been named the strongest position groups in this year's draft class. Writing for NFL.
com , Lance Zierlein had high praise for this year's draft class, saying the talent pool is slightly stronger than last year's class. And his No. 1 strongest position group is edge defender.