After signaling that they were going to head into the draft with their compensatory picks in tow, the Jacksonville Jaguars surprised us with their pursuit of wide receiver Jake Bobo. Their offer sheet strives to keep him on the roster for the next two seasons. While the former UCLA Bruin won't be the flashiest player out wide, his run blocking is widely celebrated. Moreover, he could become a valuable contributor on special teams.
Signing a veteran receiver to fill an underappreciated role at this point of the offseason shows that Jacksonville's front office has a well-defined vision for the team's play style. In theory, this eliminates the need to chase high-profile stars since every unheralded player acquired during this year's free agency period is already a perfect fit for Liam Coen and Anthony Campanile's schemes.
So, in my opinion, performing a mock draft for the Jags requires two assumptions: 1) the top end of the roster is already in place, which means this year's picks will be used to add depth and immediate contributors and 2) James Gladstone won't be able (or willing) to put together a trade package enticing enough to get back into the first round.
With the boring part out of the way, here's a mock seven-round pick draft, where I predict what the Jags will do with their 11 (sheesh!) picks in the upcoming NFL Draft!
Round 2, Pick 56 - Texas A&M EDGE Cashius Howell
When the Detroit Lions gave Aidan Hutchinson a four-year contract averaging $45 million of compensation per season, the clock on Travon Walker's future in Jacksonville started ticking. Before the front office allowed Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd to hit the open market with no resistance, there was hope that Walker would get a long-term extension and continue building on the foundation he's established in Duval County. Now, it's pretty clear that James Gladstone needs to plan ahead so he isn't left with too many holes at once.
Luckily, Cashius Howell has the resume befitting a second pick with high expectations. In 2025, Howell accrued 14 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks before becoming an All-American for the first time. Both numbers set career highs for the young EDGE defender and show that he could be ready to reach his potential under the right coaching staff.
Round 3, Pick 81 - Iowa State DT Domonique Orange
Arik Armstead isn't a long-term answer at defensive tackle, and Davon Hamilton may have reached his ceiling as a nose tackle as well. That means finding some new defensive tackles to develop should be a high priority for Gladstone and his college scouting staff between now and the draft.
Domonique Orange is an interesting prospect because of his size (6'2", 322 lbs) and his relatively high athleticism score (70). The latter mark makes him the 14th-most athletic DT in the 2026 draft class despite being a pure nose destined to control A gaps and ruin running backs' Sundays.
Jacksonville had the NFL's best run defense in 2025, and I'd reckon that coach Camp's squad wants to defend their title this season. Orange's presence on first downs and 3rd-and-short situations would help that campaign a lot.
Round 3, Pick 88 - Texas CB Malik Muhammad
Montaric Brown and the Jaguars were able to agree on a new deal that keeps the young corner in the building for a while, but the team's other free agency decisions haven't done much to prove that the DB room is rebuilt and ready to go.
Malik Muhammad is a 6'0", 182 lbs CB who ran a 4.42 40-yard dash and leapt 10'10" in the broad jump at the NFL combine. While his collegiate stats don't jump off the page, scouts claim that the former Longhorn is solid in zone coverage and is one of the best Day 2 prospects to consider if you're looking for a starter. That's definitely something for Jacksonville's aggressive defensive coordinator to keep in mind.
Round 3, Pick 100 - Georgia State WR Ted Hurst
I don't think Jake Bobo was signed to haul in 40 catches a year. With that in mind, there's no guarantee that Travis Hunter will get a lot of chances to snag a few passes out the air himself.
If Brian Thomas Jr. continues to regress or, Tom Coughlin forbid, asks for a change of scenery, the wide receiver room will go from a position of strength to an area of need in a hurry. Ted Hurst would give the Jaguars an insurance plan and the exact body type (6'4", 206 lbs) to fill Tim Patrick's role in the red zone and in big-time contested catch situations.
Hurst ran a 4.42 40-yard dash, broad jumped 11'3", and tallied a 36.5" vertical jump at the combine. This elite combination of speed and leaping ability could give Liam Coen the Mike Evans-esque wideout he needs to accomplish his ultimate vision on offense.
Round 4, Pick 124 - Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton
You can never have too many good football players. Yes, Jacksonville just signed Chris Rodriguez to add a ridiculous amount of power in between the tackles, but the top end of the team's roster isn't strong enough to stop there.
Drafting Nicholas Singleton would add even more talent to a committee of running backs who will be asked to shoulder an intense level of responsibility in 2026. Coen's passing offense turned Trevor Lawrence into an MVP candidate, but the second-year head coach's running game is what could make the Jaguars a Super Bowl contender.
Singleton scored 54 total touchdowns during his four seasons at Penn State. If he can find the end zone half as much during his time as a Jag, he'll be well worth the pick.
Round 5, Pick 164 - Texas Christian LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr
Ventrell Miller will get his chance to be Jacksonville's latest star at outside linebacker, but Foye Oluokun's getting a bit long in the tooth. One of the biggest reasons for Sacksonville's collapse was Paul Posluszny's retirement. Finding an inside linebacker to develop as the next generation of Jaguars builds upon last season's success should be on Gladstone's to-do list as well.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr is another freak athlete who put on a show at the NFL combine. After weighing in at 234 lbs, the Horned Frog sprinted a 4.47 40, blazed through the 20-yard shuttle in 4.41 seconds, broad jumped 10'4", and leapt 40" during the vertical jump. So, he obviously has the athleticism required to go sideline-to-sideline at the pro level, but he will need some time to learn the nuances of putting everyone into position before the snap.
Round 5, Pick 166 - Penn State DT Zane Durant
The second-most athletic defensive tackle in the 2026 class earned an estimated athleticism score of 89 (!!!) at the combine. The 6'1", 290-pounder tallied a 4.75 40-yard dash with 1.66 10-yard split, a 33.5" vertical jump, and a 9'4" broad jump. Al Davis would move furniture to draft this man.
Anyone available this late in the game has some red flags to consider. For Durant, it's his lack of strength on the inside. Scouts say that the Nittany Lion can get moved around in the run game and has a hard time anchoring down in one spot.
Respectfully, the Jaguars have enough guys they can rely on in obvious running situations. Durant could provide the interior athleticism the team needs to collapse pockets and give Josh Hines-Allen more opportunities to get to the passer and finish plays.
Round 6, Pick 203 - Texas A&M TE Nate Boerkircher
This pick is purely for the run blocking.
Nate Boerkircher didn't offer much as a pass catcher at the collegiate level, so asking him to help the Jags in that area would be unrealistic. Also, the only combine drill he has numbers for is his 4.4-second 20-yard shuttle. Jake Bobo's signing shows that run blocking is a prized commodity within Everbank Stadium, so Boerkircher's arrival at a price so cheap doesn't have many downsides.
Round 7, Pick 233 - Ole Miss OT Diego Pounds
Diego Pounds' estimated athleticism score (82) matches the idea that he's a better pass protector than run blocker at this stage. Technique-wise, Pounds seems to be a project who will be competitive for a backup spot at first. However, the pick would also be a sign of good faith that the front office is aware of their long-term prospects at offensive tackle.
Anton Harrison will need a new contract soon, and Walker Little, if you ask a lot of the fanbase, needs a new home. Finding some projects to invest in now would be a good move.
Round 7, Pick 240 - Miami (FL) OG Anez Cooper
Anez Cooper is a 6'6", 334-pound monster who was a starter on one of the most dominant ball control teams in college football. He has some technical issues to clean up as well, but he would be an excellent interior lineman to take at this point in the draft. Especially when one considers the Jaguars' option if a starter gets injured.
Round 7, Pick 245 - Florida WR J. Michael Sturdivant
The Jaguars' final pick of the draft could be another big-bodied (6'3", 207 lbs) wideout with ridiculous athleticism and loads of potential. J. Michael Sturdivant has the tools and play style to become a dangerous deep threat if he puts it all together on the field. He's a long shot to challenge BTJ for his spot in Liam Coen's offense, but Sturdivant is an athlete on the boundary who complements all the slot guys in the wide receiver room.
While other mock drafts are sure to use some of these picks as trade fodder, this one tried to take things at face value. Last year, James Gladstone's biggest splash of the entire season came on draft night when he traded up to draft Travis Hunter. The second-year GM could always make a deal to land another second-round selection, but there are a few starters on both sides of the ball with contracts coming up soon.
Who will replace Anton Harrison if he has a $100 million market? Is there a Plan B in the wide receiver room if Brian Thomas Jr. is traded away during the season? Will Travon Walker be a Jaguar in 2027? All of these questions, and many others, could be answered if Gladstone opts to load up on young, cheap talent this April.