The Jacksonville Jaguars need to add reinforcements at defensive tackle this offseason, but they must also fortify the pass rush. They currently lack a true No. 3 to round out their rotation behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. That was evident in the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, when their inability to bring the heat allowed quarterback Josh Allen to shred the secondary.
The good news is that Jacksonville will have no shortage of options to address the pass rush. General manager James Gladstone could swing a trade for defensive end Maxx Crosby or pounce on Trey Hendrickson in free agency. The downside is that either option would leave the team without many resources to take care of other pressing needs.
There's a third alternative, one that could be substantially cheaper. And based on a recent assessment of the pass-rush class, it may be the Jaguars' best option.
Daniel Jeremiah says this will be a great year for the Jaguars to draft a pass rusher
Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Media says that this is a good year to draft an edge rusher, noting that the depth is impressive, and as many as 10 players have a top-50 grade.
"If you need an edge rusher, this is a good draft to double up, Jeremiah posted on Twitter. "The depth of the class is impressive. I've got 10 guys worthy of a spot in top 50 players. There's another layer of traitsy players beyond that group."
If you need an edge rusher, this is a good draft to double up. The depth of the class is impressive. I've got 10 guys worthy of a spot in top 50 players. There's another layer of traitsy players beyond that group.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) February 13, 2026
This should be music to the Jaguars' ears when you take into account that they gave their 2026 first-round pick as part of a package to trade up for two-way star Travis Hunter. That said, they have four selections on Day 2 (one in Round 2 and three in Round 3). Based on Jeremiah's comments, though, Jacksonville should have no trouble finding a quality pass rusher at that point in the draft.
Matt Miller of ESPN has Akheem Mesidor, Mason Thomas, and Gabe Jacas going in Round 2 in his two-round mock draft. There's a strong chance that at least two of them will be available when Jacksonville is on the clock at No. 56.
If Jacksonville would rather address other needs in Round 2, Keyron Crawford, Dani Dennis-Sutton, LT Overton, and Romello Height would be intriguing alternatives in the third round. Dane Brugler of The Athletic included the three of them in the top-100 of his big board.
Related: Maurice Jones-Drew's trade idea would turn the Jags into legit contenders
Why the Jaguars may turn to the draft to bolster the pass rusher
There's no doubt that trading for Maxx Crosby or locking up Trey Hendrickson would turbocharge the Jacksonville pass rush. Heck, they could turn the Jaguars into a legit contender, but it would also leave them devoid of resources to address other needs.
For instance, let's say the Jags landed Crosby. On top of giving up first and second-round picks, they would have to take on his salary of around $29 million per season each of the next three years. Signing Hendrickson wouldn't require them to part ways with any draft selections, but Jacksonville would probably have to give him a top-market deal to acquire his services.
Couple that with the fact that the Jaguars are $13.9 million over the cap, and adding a couple of pass rushers in the draft may be the course of action.
Sure, the Jags would love to get their hands on a top-notch pass rusher such as Trey Hendrickson or Crosby, but they could come out of the draft with a game-altering player. They might as well take their chances.