FINALLY! Even if it's with their last pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars have acknowledged that their linebacker room isn't completely built yet. Entering the draft, it was clear that Devin Lloyd's replacement was not on the roster. Despite this, James Gladstone and the rest of his staff opted to focus on curating a draft class that will help the Jags run the ball into oblivion but might not be that great in coverage.
Luckily, Gladstone pivoted with the 240th-overall pick of the draft and selected an amazing athlete who could become a dynamic special teamer on Day 1. Who is he, you ask? None other than Middle Tennessee State's finest.
Parker Hughes has the athleticism to replace Devin Lloyd's impact in the coverage game
Parker Hughes is a linebacker who played his best ball at Middle Tennessee State. In 2025, he piled up 99 total tackles, two passes defensed, and two interceptions. These figures are perfect, as the Jaguars needed a player who could help the secondary in coverage and keep up with the league's most versatile tight ends.
Hughes' speed is elite, as he ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at his pro day. CBS Sports reports that the backer checked in at 6-foot, 228 pounds, which definitely puts him on the smaller side. As he acclimates himself to the team, he will need to carve out a role for himself on special teams and show that he can set the tone on kickoffs and punt coverage.
The athletic defender's arrival bookends a draft that drew tons of attention from experts and fans alike. It feels like he'll have one of the best chances to make the team of all the Day 3 picks (well, aside from Tanner Koziol), so it'd be best to stay locked in to our coverage of his development as a Jaguar!
What should the Jaguars expect from Parker Hughes in Year 1?
Not much, if anything, the fact that the Jaguars waited until Round 7 to invest a draft pick in their linebacker corps shows that they feel great about the overall state of the position even though Devin Lloyd bolted for the Carolina Panthers in free agency.
With Lloyd gone, 2023 fourth-round pick Ventrell Miller is expected to fill the gap next to Foyesade Oluokun in the starting lineup. Behind those two are Jack Kiser, Brenson Combs, and Yasir Abdullah. Maybe Parker Hughes can compete for a roster spot but would have to outplay either Abdullah or Combs in training camp.
Then again, the Jags showed that Parker Hughes was worthy of a draft pick, even it it was a seventh-rounder. Otherwise, they would've tried to sign him as an undrafted free agent. The fact that they didn't want to risk losing him to another teams proves that he could bring value to the linebacker corps.
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