5 ways for Jaguars to 'ace' the 2026 NFL draft
· Yahoo Sports
What must happen in the 2026 NFL draft in order for the Jacksonville Jaguars to "ace" their selections and address their key needs?
ESPN's Ben Solak recently answered that question for the Jaguars and the other 31 NFL teams.
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Step one for the Jaguars is that while they have 11 draft picks, giving them the ability to trade up from pick No. 56 -- their first selection -- Solak would prefer to see Jacksonville stay put and load up on Day 2 talent with the four picks that they have.
From there, the two biggest priorities for the Jaguars are at defensive tackle and linebacker. At tackle, the Jaguars need additional depth and more pass-rush juice this season.
"Defensive tackle is also a must-get, perhaps with Round 3 developmental gems such as Tyler Onyedim (Texas A&M) and Gracen Halton (Oklahoma)," wrote Solak.
While at linebacker, adding competition in the absence of Devin Lloyd wouldn't be a bad idea -- even if James Gladstone is bullish on Ventrell Miller.
"I'd expect the Jaguars to use No. 56 on a linebacker to replace the outgoing Devin Lloyd and anticipate the decline of Foyesade Oluokun, who is turning 31 this summer," wrote Solak. "Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech) and CJ Allen (Georgia) have the sort of intangibles Gladstone would admire."
Beyond those two position groups, Solak notes making an addition at running back to split time with Bhayshul Tuten. My argument here, however, is that the Jaguars already did that by signing Chris Rodriguez. Not to say that an addition at running back can't be made, but I don't know that is a top-100 priority.
The same could be said for safety -- another position Solak mentioned. Although Andrew Wingard left in free agency, the Jaguars still have Antonio Johnson, Eric Murray, Caleb Ransaw, and Rayuan Lane on the roster. That said, this safety class is too good to pass up, if you ask Solak.
"I think this safety class is too good to pass up, as the starting roles for Eric Murray and Antonio Johnson could be challenged by Zakee Wheatley (Penn State) and Jalon Kilgore (South Carolina)," Solak wrote.
To put a bow on all of this, here was Solak's parting message to the Jaguars: "Stay, pick, develop, prosper. The only must-gets are defensive tackle and linebacker."
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Analyst details how Jaguars can perfect their picks