The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off a huge turnaround, capturing the AFC South title and making the playoffs in 2025. For this reason, they were expected to load up on talent in the offseason in order to get over the hump next year. But against conventional wisdom, the Jags took a conservative approach to free agency. Then, they went against the grain in the NFL Draft, sticking to their board rather than following the consensus.
While Jacksonville still has a talented core in place and a coach-of-the-year candidate in Liam Coen, an analyst wonders just how much it has improved.
The Jaguars are ranked 5th in the AFC, but questions linger
Sayre Bedinger of NFL Spin Zone ranked all 16 AFC teams ahead of the 2026 season. He placed the Jaguars at No. 5, pointing out that he had trouble giving them a spot because he isn't sure just how much better they'll be next year.
"The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the biggest surprises in the NFL last season, but they're not going to catch anyone off guard this year," Bedinger wrote. "I struggled to put them this high, honestly. I don't know if it felt like last season was lightning in a bottle, or if it just really doesn't sit right the way they reloaded after letting Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd walk in free agency."
Bedinger continued, "The Jaguars' draft class was not impressive on paper, and we don't quite know what to expect from last year's prized pickup, Travis Hunter. It was a very underwhelming offseason from a team that really seemed to have a lot going for it. We'll see if their conservative approach pays off or bites them badly."
This is a long-winded way to say that the Jaguars are facing lots of uncertainty after taking an unorthodox approach to the offseason. All things considered, that's a fair assessment of where they stand right now.
Keep in mind that Bedinger isn't outright stating that Jacksonville will fail, but rather that he isn't sure if it will succeed either, and understandably so. Although the interior defensive line and the pass rush were big priorities, you could make the case that the team's brass didn't do enough to address either.
Sure, general manager James Gladstone did trade for defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro and later drafted Albert Regis at No. 88. Similarly, he bolstered the rotation behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen when he chose Wesley Williams and Zach Durfee in Rounds 4 and 7, respectively. That said, you could argue that more could have been done.
On the one hand, the Jags wanted to use resources thoughtfully, avoiding paying top market money for defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers or trading for passing rusher Jonathan Green. On the other hand, it's hard to tell whether their interior defensive line and the pass rush are truly in better shape than they were at the end of 2025.
Couple that with the departures of Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd, and it's easy to see why there's skepticism surrounding Jacksonville going into next season.
There's one way the Jaguars can prove their approach works
The Jaguars are being criticized for one simple reason. They've yet to prove their approach works. Sure, James Gladstone addressed several needs with a handful of trades of free-agent signings. However, he hasn't shown he can replenish the roster on a consistent basis. The fact that he disregarded the consensus board and chose to follow his own process only fanned the flames even more.
On the other hand, Gladstone isn't just throwing stuff to the wall and seeing what sticks. He's laid out a vision to make Jacksonville better, and he deserves credit for that. Of course, the only way he can get full praise is if the Jaguars become a perennial playoff team year in and year out because of his philosophy.
It's as simple as that: If the Jaguars win more games than they did last year or advance further in the playoffs, their decision-makers will get the recognition. Until then, it's fair to have questions about their system.
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