In spite of their dearth of big swings in the offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars are in a good position to win the AFC South for the second year in a row in 2026. Head coach Liam Coen is back, and so is Trevor Lawrence. Couple that with the fact that the Jags had a well-rounded roster even after linebacker Devin Lloyd and running back Travis Etienne left, and they should have no trouble defending their division crown.
Of course, the Houston Texans will be a threat to Jacksonville, especially if C.J. Stroud can bounce back from an underwhelming 2025. But if the Jaguars want to increase their odds of winning the division, they could make a signing that would make them better while weakening Houston.
The Jaguars are being urged to sign Derek Barnett or Denico Autry
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report came up with a list of one move each NFL team should still make this offseason. He suggests the Jaguars bolster the pass rush behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen, naming Derek Barnett and Denico Autry as two possible options.
"Like the Texans, the Jacksonville Jaguars have a strong starting edge duo—in their case, Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. However, Jacksonville recorded just 32 sacks as a team in 2025," Knox wrote. "Adding additional edge depth would be logical, and the Jags might want to consider scooping up Autry or Barnett before he returns to Houston. They should also consider free agents like Joey Bosa and Leonard Floyd or trading for a quality third sack artist before training camp."
Barnett and Autry registered a combined 8.5 sacks for Houston last year. Both of them remain unsigned, so the Jags could sign either one before they return to Houston. Jacksonville could also lock up either Leonard Floyd or Joey Bosa. Both of the can thrive in a rotational role, but their salary demands could exceed the Jags' budget.
But if the Jaguars don't want to spare expense, they should set their sights on either Jadeveon Clowney or Cameron Jordan. They are probably the two most expensive options that remained unsigned, but they're the most productive of the two.
On the other hand, Jacksonville's best option to bolster the pass rush via trade is probably Nick Herbig. The issue is that the team's brass would probably have to give up a second-round pick for him (and possibly another selection) and give him a new deal. That may simply be cost-prohibitive when you take into account that the Jags want to sign players such as wide receiver Parker Washington and tight end Brenton Strange.
Either way, the Jaguars have options to fortify the pass-rush rotation.
Why the Jaguars may not sign Derek Barnett or Denico Autry
There's no doubt that the Jaguars would want to bolster the pass rush and weaken Houston by poaching Denico Autry or Derek Barnett. However, they probably won't bring in external help at this moment. The reason is that Jacksonville may want to see what sophomore Danny Striggow and rookies Zach Durfee and Wesley Williams bring to the table.
Striggow, like B.J. Green II, made the initial 53-man roster after going undrafted in 2025. He saw more playing time as the season progressed and is expected to make a leap in Year 2. Durfee, on the other hand, was dubbed Project X and has intriguing upside after dealing with a myriad of ailments in his collegiate career.
If the young pass rushers failed to make an impact, the Jaguars could then bring in a veteran pass rusher, one who can contribute right off the bat. But barring something unexpected, they'll probably wait to take a swing.
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