Even though the Jacksonville Jaguars weren't nearly as active as other clubs in the offseason, they should be even better in 2026 than they were a year ago. Sure, the Jags lost key contributors such as Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd in the offseason, but they also have several players ready to step up. On top of that, a drop-off is highly unlikely because head coach Liam Coen won't let the team rest on its laurels after going 13-4 and winning the AFC South last year.
When you add it all up, Jacksonville seems like a club that could make a deep playoff push. However, an NFL analyst doesn't believe Coen's squad will ultimately qualify for the postseason in 2026.
The Jaguars are predicted to miss the playoffs in 2026
Jarrett Bailey of SB Nation came up with 61 predictions for the NFL season. One of them is that the Jaguars, among other teams, will miss the playoffs.
"The Broncos, Chargers, Ravens, and Jaguars will miss the postseason in the AFC while the Seahawks, Bears, and 49ers are left out in the NFC," Bailey wrote.
Bailey argues that Jacksonville will light up the scoreboard but the defense will lose them games.
"Jacksonville will be fun to watch offensively, and I have them as my first team out with a winning record," Bailey wrote. "Defensively, they will be more volatile, which will cost them in close games."
There's no doubt that the Jags offense will be more fun to watch. Trevor Lawrence played like a top-10 quarterback to end 2025 and is poised to be even better next season, in part because he will have no shortage of weapons in his arsenal.
Brian Thomas Jr. is in a position to bounce back after a disappointing 2025 season. Parker Washington should keep making strides, and Jacksonville will create mismatches when they run two-tight-end sets with Brenton Strange and Nate Boerkircher.
Couple that with the fact that the team's brass is confident the backfield tandem of Chris Rodriguez and Bhayshul Tuten will help fix the running game, and the Jacksonville offense should indeed be fun to watch. On the other hand, does Bailey have a valid reason to believe the defense will regress?
It won't.
The Jaguars defense will take pressure off Trevor Lawrence and the offense
Losing Devin Lloyd in free agency stings, but the Jaguars weren't going to give him the three-year, $45 million contract he got with the Carolina Panthers. Moreover, they have a more than adequate replacement in Ventrell Miller, while sophomore Branson Combs has shown notable improvement. Sure, Jacksonville will miss Lloyd's ability to create takeaways, but there shouldn't otherwise be a step drop-off at linebacker.
Granted, defensive tackle remains a question mark, and the Jags need to find a No. 3 pass rusher to round out their rotation. However, Travon Walker and Arik Armstead are healthy after dealing with injuries last year. If that wasn't enough, Albert Regis and Ruke Orhorhoro should give the interior defensive line a boost.
On the other hand, the secondary appears to be a strength. Travis Hunter will play cornerback full-time, and Jacksonville is stacked at the position. Similarly, the safety room looks in great shape, with Antonio Johnson, Jalen Huskey, Eric Murray, and Caleb Ransaw in the mix.
When you add it all up, the Jaguars have lots of talent at all three levels of defense to stop opponents from scoring. Of course, they could still miss the playoffs, but several things would have to go wrong for that to happen.
That said, the defense won't be an issue next season.
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