The Jacksonville Jaguars were a great team last season, but that doesn't mean they were perfect. At times, the offense's running game completely disappeared and limited the unit's ability to execute. If you ask the more critical members of the fanbase, weaknesses across the line of scrimmage could explain why Liam Coen's scheme lacked versatility when it mattered most.
Luckily, there are a few offensive line prospects in the upcoming draft who could fix the Jaguars' problems in an instant if James Gladstone can turn in the card on time. Unfortunately, the second-year executive can only move so quickly, as his team doesn't pick until the latter part of the second round.
To make matters worse, an AFC South rival recently traded away a highly respected veteran who started games at tackle and guard for them. Losing this kind of versatility almost guarantees that they'll be trying to jump the Jags and grab one of the biggest names in the entire class.
The Texans could snatch Chase Bisontis off before the Jaguars have a chance to respond
Texas A&M's Chase Bisontis is a 6'5", 315-pound stud who will probably be a left guard at the NFL level. He has to clean up his penalties (he drew 19 flags over the past three seasons), but his technique got better as his career progressed at the collegiate level. While he isn't likely to be selected in the first round, there's a chance that Bisontis could still be off the board by the time Jacksonville makes its first pick at the 56th spot.
Earlier this offseason, the Houston Texans traded Tytus Howard to the Cleveland Browns for a 2026 fifth-round pick. From the outside looking in, it seems like the Browns believe they got a steal, as they gave Howard a three-year, $63 million extension as soon as they landed him.
Howard was drafted by Houston in the first round back in 2019. He soon became a key contributor for the franchise and played on units that helped the Texans win multiple AFC South championships.
Cleveland's immediate commitment to Howard is a sign that the G/T still has a few years left in the tank. That could end up being bad news for Nick Caserio, Houston's general manager, as it would mean that he shipped out a good offensive lineman without being sure if he had a great one to replace him.
Fansided's newest NFL Draft coverage shows that Caserio was quite aggressive in his efforts to make sure this wasn't the case. According to the publication, Houston went out and acquired Braden Smith, Evan Brown, and All-Pro guard Wyatt Teller to shore up the trenches. The team also re-signed Ed Ingram for good measure.
One would think that this wave of moves would take the Texans out of the offensive line market. Amazingly, it looks like they could still have their eyes on the 45th-ranked player on Fansided's big board before focusing their resources elsewhere.
Bisontis' aforementioned trouble with penalties could be addressed with a year or so on the bench as he refines his technique in practice. Wyatt Teller is already 31 years old, so he isn't a permanent fixture in Houston's long-term plans. If Caserio drafts a young hoss he can develop over time, he could have the Texans' answer to Quentin Nelson sooner rather than later.
So, what can the Jaguars do?
Jacksonville needs to figure out what it will do about Walker Little, Ezra Cleveland, and Patrick Mekari.
Wyatt Milum and Cole Van Lanen could replace two of the three players mentioned this year or next (Van Lanen will tentatively start at left tackle in 2026), but there's a worst-case possibility that Anton Harrison doesn't get an extension before he hits the market or is traded. If that catastrophe comes to pass, Jax would need at least one premier option at right tackle and a real answer at guard.
Bisontis could, at the very least, shore up the Jaguars' interior while they invest more money in protecting the edges. It doesn't seem like James Gladstone will be able to trade into the first round, but he could be able to move up in the second if he offers a third rounder to a team that's willing to listen.
Houston has the 28th and 38th overall picks, so Gladstone will have to be creative if he wants to beat the Texans for a player both teams have on their boards. Such is life when you're still paying the bill for Travis Hunter, but it's a good sign that there's still a way for the Jags to land high-level talent with their limited resources.
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