Good news for Jaguars and top positional needs in 2026 NFL draft
· Yahoo Sports
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.
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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.
Edge Defender
"There were five edge defenders drafted in last April's first round and 11 selected on Day 2. This year, we have another loaded group of QB hunters," Zierlein wrote. "Arvell Reese is a developmental prospect with huge upside, while David Bailey is rush-ready as a true pocket pillager. Rueben Bain Jr. brings unique power, while fellow Miami product Akheem Mesidor is the most skilled rusher in this class. Zion Young majors in block destruction as a run defender, and Malachi Lawrence is getting some buzz behind the scenes. This class figures to provide a strong number of future starters, with as many as 17 players poised to come off the board in the first three rounds, but the quality of depth will trail off on Day 3. The edge defenders will rule the first round."
Of course, the Jaguars won't get a pick in the first round. But knowing there is such a strong group of edge rushers in this year's draft class should mean Jacksonville will still be able to make a quality selection, even in the second round.
Anthony Campanile transformed the Jaguars' defense into a well-respected unit last season, particularly against the run, but the pass rush continues to be an area where the Jags need more help behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.
Thankfully, with such a loaded class, there will be plenty of talented players to choose from.
Linebacker
Coming in at No. 2 for Zierlein was linebacker, which is another good sign for Jacksonville. Ventrell Miller and Jack Kiser will likely compete to start alongside Foyesade Oluokun, but more depth is definitely needed.
"Off-ball linebacker became a consistently sparse offering in the draft over the last several years, but this is one of the strongest groups we've seen in a while," Zierlein said. "Sonny Styles could be a top-10 draft pick, which would mark the first time that's happened for the position since 2020, when the Arizona Cardinals took Isaiah Simmons eighth overall. Anthony Hill Jr. is a talented three-down option who could go on Day 1, while Jake Golday, CJ Allen and Jacob Rodriguez look like Round 2 selections as potential early starters. The linebacker group stays strong in Rounds 3 and 4, with decent depth stretching into the fifth round."
So there are multiple options in multiple rounds at linebacker for this year's draft class, which is great news for the Jaguars. Someone like Jake Golday would be a great pick for the Jags, and while he isn't likely to be as good as Devin Lloyd was overnight, he would still offer a lot of talent and potential in the linebacker room.
The strength of this year's draft class, and particularly in position groups that Jacksonville needs to address, is just another reason why analysts and fans shouldn't already be underestimating the reigning AFC South champions.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Loaded edge, LB classes align with Jaguars needs