After a relatively quiet free agency, the Jacksonville Jaguars have their work cut for them. While they managed to retain some of their core contributors, they also lost several players who had pivotal roles in 2025. Fortunately, the Jags have the ammo to address most of their glaring holes and come out of the draft with a handful of playmakers.
Jacksonville has 11 draft picks after a series of trades, and it wouldn't be shocking to see general manager James Gladstone make a few more deals in the upcoming months. Heck, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic has the Jaguars using some of their extra picks in his latest mock to move into the first round. And the truth is that that would be a pretty solid move.
The Jaguars trade up for Peter Woods in The Athletic's mock draft
Bruce Feldman did a first-round mock draft based on what he's heard from execs and coaches around the NFL. He had the Jags trading up to No. 30 to select Peter Woods, pointing out that the former Clemson Tiger would help them address a glaring need.
"With Miami grabbing Delane earlier in the draft, the Dolphins can address their need for a receiver here, but there's not one worth a late-first-round pick, so they deal with Jacksonville, which needs a defensive tackle," Feldman wrote. "The 6-2, 300-pound Woods is an extremely powerful, big athlete who some coaches at Clemson thought would be a top-five pick when he finished his career."
Feldman continued, "Last offseason, he clocked at 4.86 at 310 pounds and bench pressed 490 pounds. His 2024 film was probably better than his 2025, but that also reflected a program that backslid. He had 40 tackles and 3.5 TFL last year."
To move up, Feldman suggests the Jags send picks Nos. 56 and 203 (Round 6) to Miami in return for the 30th overall. The Dolphins originally got this selection when they traded wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos earlier this year.
Circling back to Woods, he hasn't been connected to the Jags often because he's expected to go early in the first round. By the time they're on the clock at No. 56, he'll most likely be gone. But this mock draft changes everything.
With Woods, the Jaguars would give their interior defensive line a massive boost. Arik Armstead is their only playmaker at defensive tackle, and he's entering a contract year. Although he could be a cap casualty, it looks like he'll stick around in 2026. Pairing him with Woods and DaVon Hamilton would give Jacksonville a dependable rotation inside.
If the Jags traded into the first round, not only would they be fixing one of their most glaring needs, but they would also acquire the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. Even though they would be giving up their second-round pick, they could address other needs with their three picks in Round 3.
Related: Michigan edge rusher Derrick Moore scouting report
Grade the trade: The Jaguars pay a 6th-round pick to trade up into the 1st round
If the Jaguars had to give up only a sixth-round pick to trade up into the first round, that would be a bargain. After all, they would be moving up 26 spots to fill their biggest roster void. They could then add depth at linebacker, cornerback, safety, or the pass rush in the third round. And that's the thing: all those position groups could use reinforcements, but none is nearly as pressing as the interior defensive line.
Of course, the Jags could also stay put at No. 56, but this year's crop of defensive tackles isn't that deep, so they wouldn't have nearly as many options. That said, someone like Christen Miller or Chris McClellan would make sense in Round 2.
Either way, Jacksonville checks off a massive box and doesn't have to pay a hefty price in The Athletic's latest mock. If James Gladstone were offered that deal, he would probably take it in a heartbeat.
Grade: A+