With the 2026 NFL Draft coming up, what options will the Jacksonville Jaguars have once they’re on the clock?
The Jaguars are a challenging team to project, as they approach draft season unlike most teams. With zero top-30 visits and eleven draft picks in total, the Jaguars are capable of approaching the draft in any which way they desire.
Due to the Travis Hunter trade from the 2024 draft pick, the Jaguars do not possess their first-round pick, the 24th selection of the draft. Because of this, it’s likely their draft doesn’t begin until day two, but with eleven picks, who’s to say they don’t make a few calls to move into the first round? I wouldn’t expect it, but I believe the Jaguars will target these players to build upon an already talented roster.
Defensive tackle is likely the biggest need for the Jaguars. They ranked near the bottom of the league in pressure from the position, and there is a clear option if he is to fall during day two. At 6’6 327 lbs, Banks is a massive player who can push the pocket with a number of pass rush moves. He finished the 24′ season with 4.5 sacks and 29 pressures.
A foot injury held him to just three games in 2025, concerning considering he re-injured that foot at the Combine. It could lead to him slipping to the 56th pick, likely the latest that the Jaguars could select him. If he isn’t available, there are other options.
If the Jaguars feel inclined to wait for a defensive tackle, selecting the Godfather might be an offer they can’t refuse. A black hole in the run game, Corleone is able to eat up space and help control the line of scrimmage. It’s the lack of pass rush upside where Corleone falters, with only a 2% pressure rate in his final season at Cincinnati. I mention Corleone because of the uncertainty surrounding the position.
Davon Hamilton has been a solid piece, but it’s unlikely he remains on the team for much longer. He’d be a fine replacement in the Jaguars upcoming rebrand of the interior defensive line. He will most likely be available long after Banks is selected.
The loss of Devin Lloyd in free agency was a tough pill to swallow for Jaguars fans. Jacksonville does have young linebackers that they’ve been prepping for replacement, but there are plenty available in this draft that could be worth taking.
The most exciting pick would be the college defensive player of the year, Jacob Rodriguez. He was originally a dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school, and evolved into a Tasmanian devil of a linebacker despite being undersized. His biggest weakness could be his tackling, something the Jaguars defense excelled in during the 25′ season. Depending on how confident they are in Jack Kiser and Ventrell Miller, Rodriguez could be the team’s prime target on day two.
The former five-star recruit is quite the opposite of Rodriguez. Both are talented, but Hill is more of a modern-day linebacker. A five-star recruit out of the state of Texas who earned recognition immediately as a true freshman. He ended up finishing as an All-SEC linebacker his final two seasons at Texas, using his athleticism to produce against the run and pass.
With the desired size and speed at the position, Hill looks like a future three-down linebacker with star potential. A part of him almost reminds me of Lloyd when he was at Utah, excelling in the blitz and making plays downhill. The latest I could see him going is early on day three, but it’s more likely he’s at least a third-round pick.
The roughest stretch the Jaguars offense had during the ’25 season was when Brenton Strange went to IR. His value as a receiver, and especially a run blocker make him a sort of nucleus for the offense. The Jaguars have a deep unit of offensive weapons, and another tight end is arguably the best addition worth making.
Delp is an all-around reliable receiving and blocking tight end who could have an immediate impact. He’s deceptively fast and is easy to picture as a mismatch weapon at the next level despite stagnant production at Georgia. This is a relatively deep tight end class with a lot of receiving talent, meaning Delp could possibly slip through the cracks as the draft progresses.
You can never have too much pass rush. The Jaguars finished the 25′ season with 32 sacks, ranking near the bottom of the league in getting to the quarterback. Crawford projects to be an NFL-ready rotational piece, something Jacksonville desperately needs if they want to take their defense to the next level.
Even with shorter arms (32″) than the league typically desires, Crawford still has the capabilities to immediately improve what is a somewhat underwhelming unit at the moment. In what would likely be a later pick, the value is there for what is a must-need addition to the Jaguars’ pass rush.
A Senior Bowl standout, Demmings looks like a future steal for whoever selects him. He’s 6’1 with 4.4 speed and has a knack for getting his hands on the ball. He isn’t afraid to tackle either, with varying results. People questioned if it was just him being the FCS that made him standout above his rest. He’d shut down that conversation by holding his own at the Senior Bowl, making him a popular prospect despite where he comes from.
It wouldn’t hurt the Jaguars to add another boundary corner, especially one with the potential of Demmings. If he makes it out of the top 100, the Jaguars and many other teams will likely be fighting to call his name.
In no world do the Jaguars get all of these players in this draft, but at least one would be a great addition. Of course, the Jaguars could select none of these players. It’s always a bad way to go into the draft, to be honest, thinking they’ll end up with one guy, and then they select someone you never even thought of. Like Maason Smith in the second round.
Thankfully, this draft is in better hands than years past. In Gladstone’s first full off-season with the Jaguars, it’s exciting to think about all the directions the team could go in. Day two will deal with the pass rush problem. Meanwhile day three’s picks will lean more on traits rather than production. With eleven picks and a flexible roster, the possibilities are endless in this year’s NFL Draft.
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