The Jacksonville Jaguars were, without a doubt, much better than analysts (and fans) expected in 2025. Projected to win six or seven games, they instead went 13-4 and won the division in head coach Liam Coen's first season at the helm. On the other hand, the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills was a reminder that the Jags still have work to do before they are truly a Super Bowl contender.
Working in Jacksonville's favor is that the coaching staff, with the exceptions of a couple of tweaks, returns largely intact, even though Anthony Campanile and Grant Udinki drew head-coaching interest in this past hiring cycle. Moreover, Trevor Lawrence played at a top 10 level to end the season, and unlike last year, he won't have to spend the offseason recovering from injury.
When you add it all up, the Jags are in a favorable position to pick up where they left off. They only need to address the larger scale roster, and they should have no trouble making a deep playoff push. That's precisely what they did in a recent mock draft.
The Jaguars bolster several key positions in Fansided's 3-round mock draft
Cody Williams of Fansided did a three-round NFL Mock draft. Below are the four picks he made for the Jaguars.
- Round 2, pick 56: safety Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
- Round 3, pick 81: edge Jaishawn Barham, Michigan
- Round 3, pick 88: offensive guard Chase Bisontis (Texas A&M)
- Round 3, pick 100: Darrell Jackson Jr. (Florida State)
Williams doesn't give an explanation for the selections, but all of them make sense, even if Jacksonville had bigger needs to address. And in case you were wondering, the Jaguars don't have a first-round pick in 2026 because they gave it up as part of the package to trade up for two-way star Travis Hunter last year.
On the other hand, they have two extra selections in Round 3 because they made a deal with the Detroit Lions last year to move down several spots in the third round.
Dillon Thieneman highlights the batch of playmakers the Jaguars land in the mock draft
Dillon Thieneman has star potential and could start for several teams as a rookie. However, the Jaguars already have the ascending Antonio Johnson and 2025 free-agent acquisition Eric Murray in the mix. Couple that with Caleb Ransaw's return after missing his rookie season with a leg injury, and the Jags are set at safety.
Then again, Thieneman could compete for a starting role in 2027 if either Johnson leaves in free agency (he's entering a contract year) or Murray becomes a cap casualty, which is a possibility but not likely at this point. Keep in mind that this isn't the first time the former Oregon Duck has been mocked to Jacksonville. Dane Brugler of The Athletic had him going to the Jags. But in his case, it was in Round 2.
The Jaishawn Barham pick, on the other hand, would make plenty of sense. The Jaguars need to add reinforcements to the pass rush, and the former Michigan Wolverine would have a chance to be a No. 3 behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen right off the bat.
At No. 88, Chase Bisontis would give the Jaguars a hog molly that could compete for a starting role. The issue is that it doesn't look like guards Patrick Mekari and Ezra Cleveland will lose their jobs this year. Then again, the coaching staff could groom Bisontis and prepare him to start if Cleveland leaves in 2027 or Mekari underperforms for the second season in a row.
The last pick would definitely take care of Jacksonville's biggest need. Aside from Arik Armstead, the Jaguars don't have much talent at defensive tackle. Compounding the issue is that Armstead could be a cap casualty, so the team's brass must replenish the position. Darrell Jackson Jr. checks off that box.
Jackson has also been mocked to Jacksonville in different mock drafts. That said, Jacksonville needs to add more than just one defensive tackle this offseason. It would be great if general manager James Gladstone could sign John Franklin-Myers in free agency or draft another big aside from the former Florida State product.
The Jaguars have clear needs ahead of free agency and the draft, so they can devote whatever resources they have to address them. And if possible, they won't hesitate to add playmakers who can step up down the road.