Not long after the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted defensive tackle Albert Regis with the No. 81 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, a video of his daughter picking his team went viral, as she crawled to a cup with a Jags logo in it.
When Regis got a chance to talk to reporters, he credited god for going to Jacksonville, pointing out that "god never lies. He never does wrong."
Couple his faith with the endearing story about his daughter choosing his team, and it's easy to see why the former Texas A&M Aggie will become a fan favorite in Duval.
Albert Regis was meant to go to the Jaguars at No. 81
In case you hadn't seen it, here's the clip of Albert Regis' daughter choosing her dad's team for him.
Former Texas A&M DT Albert Regis’ daughter, Akari, got to “pick” his draft spot this morning, and crawled to the Jaguars cup.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 25, 2026
Hours later, Jacksonville picked Regis at No. 81 overall. 🔮 pic.twitter.com/pfZZ13PGYA
In Jacksonville, Regis will join a defensive tackle group that includes Arik Armstead, DaVon Hamilton, Matt Dickerson, and the recently traded Ruke Orhorhoro. At 6'1", he doesn't have great arm length, which could make it difficult for him to disengage and finish tackles. That said, the La Porte, Texas native has superb bend and knows how to use his hands to get off blocks.
Couple that with the fact that Regis had 10 passes defensed in 51 career games, and it's easy to see why the Jags took a flyer on him. When asked about the defensive tackle's college production, head coach Liam Coen heaped praise on him, pointing out that the team was high on him because of his football intelligence and effort.
"I mean, that's what we're hunting up, D-Ham, you know, Vegas. Like, that's kidding. That's just something that he can do. Yeah, it's up to the fact that he, like you mentioned, though, the football intelligence, the football IQ, the feel, how to play single blocks, how to play double teams, how he runs to the football," Coen told the local media, 2:03 mark. "I mean, this guy chases things down, screens."
Coen continued, "We talk about heat for players, for us, and the amount of buy-in in the building for these players, specifically Albert, a ton, a ton of buy-in. And you hit it on the head, the type of football intelligence IQ matched with somebody that's going to play his tail off and compete, that's exactly what we're hung up."
Albert Regis is poised to have an instant impact for the Jaguars in 2026
Even though defensive tackle was a big need for the Jaguars, they passed on top prospects at the position, such as Kayden McDonald, Lee Hunter, or Christen Miller. They instead waited until Round 3 to take care of it with Albert Regis at No. 81. The pick might not have been popular, but the team's brass is confident he can make an immediate impact.
Arik Armstead is expected to stay in 2026. If he sticks around, Regis could take on a rotational role to start the season. But if he shows enough progress throughout the offseason program, he could make Armstead expendable.
Already, Jaguars fans have a reason to like Albert Regis, and if he comes through as a rookie, they'll endear to him even more.
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