The Jacksonville Jaguars managed to get their fanbase back on track in the 2026 NFL Draft, as a handful of confusing selections on Day 2 of the draft were balanced out by arguably the biggest steal of the night when they added Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon.
After taking Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher, who has under 40 career catches in six college seasons, in the second round and using the first of their third-round choices on Aggies defensive tackle Albert Regis with the next pick, James Gladstone managed to land Pregnon with the No. 88 pick in the Draft.
Pregnon is one of the rare late Day 2 selections who could genuinely manage to start as a rookie, as the Jaguars' interior offensive line is not strong enough to hold off someone almost universally regarded as a Top 50 talent on most Big Boards.
Jaguars pull off terrific NFL Draft steal with Oregon OG Emmanuel Pregnon in third round
Pregnon was the best offensive lineman on a loaded Ducks team that was one of the best squads in the country. With tree-trunk legs and a vicious demeanor, Pregnon is already a plus run-blocker with tremendous anchor in pass protection.
While Ezra Cleveland, Robert Hainsey, and Patrick Mekari represent a solid group of starting linemen, none of them has been so dominant as to possibly ward off a challenge from Pregnon. Cleveland, who occupies Pregnon's collegiate spot of left guard, might be the one most directly challenged by the new blood coming in.
Gladstone is clearly placing a premium on the trenches. In addition to drafting Regis and trading for Ruke Orhorhoro in the lead-up to the Draft, Jacksonville has now spent some of their top picks on a blocking tight end in Boerkircher and a top road-grader like Pregnon.
With Trevor Lawrence and the passing game finally starting to show they can elevate this team, adding more protection up front is never a bad idea. Landing a talent like Pregnon at this point in the Draft one year after picking up Wyatt Milum suggests Gladstone is a keen evaluator of offensive line talent.
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