2026 NFL Draft Grades: Jacksonville Jaguars

Honestly, the Emmanuel Pregnon pick kept this grade from dipping even lower.

After the Jaguars' big move up to No. 2 at this time last year to get Travis Hunter, their first selection wasn't until No. 56, late in Round 2. Jacksonville also came into this draft with 11 picks, tied for the second most in the league. Four of them were on Day 2. There was a chance to make some key additions, but three of them seemed like obvious reaches, and very few roster needs were addressed.

Nate Boerkircher was No. 127 on my final Big Board but went in Round 2. Last season was the first time he had more than six catches in a season, and he still had just 19. He's an in-line blocker who can help spring some runs. But I would have rather seen an actual running back here ... or a linebacker ... or a defensive tackle. The Jaguars did get that defensive tackle with the next pick, but Albert Regis was the DT15 on my board. And with the last pick of Day 2, Jacksonville went way off the board for Jalen Huskey. I have concerns about this tackling ability, but he will bring ball skills. The versatile defensive back had 11 interceptions over the past three seasons; I had him graded as a safety.

Pregnon was a fantastic pick. He started for three different schools and saw time at both guard positions, and he's a really good run blocker. At 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds, he can control defenders and move them out of the way, and then he gets to the second level to spring big plays. I had him as a borderline first-rounder -- at worst, second-rounder -- so I'd characterize this as a pretty massive steal late in Round 3.

I had linebacker as the team's most pressing need after Devin Lloyd signed with the Panthers, but Parker Hughes was the only add there, down at No. 240. Coach Liam Coen could have used another running back beyond Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr., too. It stings to lose Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency. Yet, there weren't any moves there.

Again, here's another team without a first-round pick. But Jacksonville made 10 selections, so I would have expected more here.

Is the bloom already off the rose after their surprising capture of the AFC South throne with a 13-win campaign in HC Liam Coen's rookie year? They lost RB Travis Etienne and LB Devin Lloyd in free agency but didn't seem compelled to replace either with a lofty pick this year, opting for a blocking tight end and D-line depth. Third-round G Emmanuel Pregnon is the most notable incoming rookie and the one likely to contribute significantly the earliest. But you can't evaluate this draft, devoid of a first-round pick, without also considering last year's decision to do a very expensive trade for Heisman Trophy-winning WR/CB Travis Hunter, who got hurt midway through his rookie year but never contributed much on either side of the ball despite his ballyhooed two-way skills. Hunter sold some jerseys, but it remains to be seen if the Jags vastly overpaid him going into this season, when he's expected to play a lot more extensively on defense.

Best Pick: I love third-round guard Emmanuel Pregnon from Oregon. He is a mauler in the run game who will push for playing time right away and will be a starter in a year or two.

Worst Pick: I didn't love the pick of safety Jalen Huskey in the third. He is a future pick who likely won't do anything more than special teams this year. I might have taken a pass rusher in that spot.

The Skinny: This is a draft that will be ripped by a lot of pundits and fans -- and, for now, probably rightfully so. It wasn't a sexy draft, but they felt they added some toughness to the team. Taking tight end Nate Boerkircher with the 56th overall pick might seem rich, but I liked the player more than most.

Last year's bold trade up for Travis Hunter meant that the Jaguars weren't on the clock until No. 56 overall, and some Jacksonville fans might wish they had waited even longer after using their first pick on Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher, a player who I (and many others) projected to be available well into Day 3. Unfortunately, the trend continued throughout the entire draft with the Jaguars repeatedly selecting players who ranked much lower on my board than theirs.

The Jaguars made 11 selections in the 2026 draft and only three of them — Oregon offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon, Duke defensive end Wesley Williams and Baylor wideout Josh Cameron — cracked my personal Top 150. GM James Gladstone may ultimately get the last laugh with this class but, at least at this point, his group offers more quantity than quality.

I tip my cap to James Gladstone, he is a fearless drafter who will either be a hero or go down his way. With that being said, this was an all-time rollercoaster.

With how the tight ends came off the board, it is clear Boerkircher was going significantly earlier than media evaluations had him. With that being said, I find it odd for a player who hasn't been very productive, turns 25 years old in September and didn't test well at his pro day. He's tough, physical and quick into his routes on tape, but this felt way too early.

After getting real contributors in the trenches with their next two picks (Regis is a hard hat run defender and Pregnon is a legitimate above average starter at guard), the Jaguars went back to their strange ways three picks in a row.

I worry about Huskey's speed and range. Williams is an accomplished run defender who plays hard, but he will be a below-average athlete at the next level. Koziol makes plays above the rim but offers nothing as a blocker, that's a hard way to live at tight end in the NFL unless you're truly special in the pass game.

My favorite day three pick was Josh Cameron from Baylor. He has legit tracking and ball skills, while offering punt returner ability.

Gladstone could end up outsmarting the consensus with this draft, but I'm currently a skeptic.

Here's why: The only thing saving this from being an F is the selection of Emmanuel Pregnon about 40 picks later than he was projected to go. Everyone else felt like a bizarre pick, especially trading up to the second round for a tight end that may end up being a blocker more than a receiver in Nate Boerkircher. The Jags picked so many players that maybe one ends up being a hit, but they had some massive reaches in relation to consensus opinion on the players they selected this weekend.

Most interesting pick: Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon

Pregnon feels like he has the best chance to become a long-term starter for Jacksonville. He's not the most flexible or fleet-of-foot offensive lineman, but he has a lot of power to drive linemen off the line of scrimmage and create running lanes. For a team that's gone through a lot of offensive line moves over the past few offseasons, Pregnon might be able to give their front five some stability.

The Jags came into this year's draft at a disadvantage after sending Cleveland their first-rounder as part of last year's trade for Travis Hunter, but it's tough to get excited about what the team did with their remaining picks, either. They got good value in grabbing Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon in the third round, and he offers starting potential for Jacksonville early in his career. But the rest of GM James Gladstone's picks were either uninspiring or downright confusing: Second-round tight end Nate Boerkircher is a 24-year-old sixth-year senior who posted just 38 catches in his college career; third-round defensive tackle Albert Regis is a sawed-off, stout interior lineman who posted limited production (3.5 sacks and 11 TFL) over the last four seasons; and third-round cornerback Jalen Huskey lacks of top-end speed (he ran a 4.55-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, according to Dane Brugler). Overall, the Jaguars focused on lower value position groups while showing wild disregard for consensus pre-draft rankings (which was the case last year too). We'll have to wait to find out if Gladstone and Co. are actually that much smarter than everyone else, but on the surface this looks like a really rough draft class.

Analysis: If this ends up being one of the better classes in 2026, general manager James Gladstone will be able to laugh at the criticism, but this is my lowest-rated team. On the surface, Boerkircher is a reach who projects as a pure "Y" tight end. Regis will provide depth and Pregnon is a good value as a third-rounder who could start this year or next. However, Huskey is another projection who may be limited to special teams. Without a pick on Thursday, the Jaguars were in a tough spot and they didn't add enough on Friday to warrant a top grade.