The Jacksonville Jaguars have put together an intriguing wide receiver corps. However, they'll need to replenish the group in 2026.
Although the Jags have a solid core in Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter, and Parker Washington, Dyami Brown signed a one-year, prove-it deal in free agency. Whether he has a banner season or not, it's hard to see him return in 2026. Similarly, Tim Patrick is set to hit the open market next year.
The good news is that the 2026 draft will be stacked with receiver talent. There will still be plenty of enticing prospects available on Days 2 and 3, so it won't matter that general manager James Gladstone doesn't have a first-round pick; he'll have their fair share of choices to bolster the position in the later rounds. Just recently, Jacksonville was offered a trio of intriguing options.
The Jaguars are urged to zero in on Elijah Sarratt, Germie Bernard, and Josh Cameron
The Bleacher Report scouting department took a look at every NFL team's most glaring needs and picked receiver for the Jaguars, noting that Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter are fine, but they're missing a slot that can work in the red zone.
"One type of receiver that could help is a power slot who could be a threat in the red zone. Travis Hunter has only seen two targets in the red zone, while Brown and Thomas are tied for the most at five," B/R wrote. "Elijah Sarratt, Germie Bernard and Josh Cameron are in the middle class of this receiver class, but they are well-built slot options who would give them another bully work with close to the endzone."
Now, it's important to point out that the 2026 NFL draft is more than half a year away, so prospects still have plenty of time to either raise or plummet their stock. That said, B/R's suggestion makes sense on paper.
After all, Parker Washington (5'11") mostly operated in the slot in his first two NFL seasons and was seen as the most likely replacement for Christian Kirk after he was traded to the Houston Texans. However, he's lined up in the boundaries on 63 percent of his snaps.
It's possible that Washington isn't a good fit in the slot in Liam Coen's system. And if that's the case, the Jaguars do need to find a receiver who can run routes in the middle of the field, so Hunter and Thomas can play in the perimeter.
The Jaguars need to add 1 or 2 WRs in the 2026 NFL Draft
It wouldn't be shocking to see the Jaguars take a dive in free agency next year to fortify their wide receiver group. After all, that's the route they took in 2025 when they signed Dyami Brown. At this point, though, it's kind of see what kind of options will be available at the position. But for the sake of the argument, let's say Jacksonville does add a receiver in the open market, it will still need to add a couple more in the NFL Draft.
Working in the Jaguars' favor is that even though they don't have a first-rounder, they have their second-round pick and three selections in Round 3 after making a deal with the Detroit Lions to move down several spots in the 2025 draft. If that wasn't enough, Jacksonville has nine picks on Day 3, so it will have ample left to address the wide receiver position even if it takes care of other needs first.
The bottom line is that wide receiver figures to be a crucial need for the Jaguars next year, and it's a good thing that it's already been highlighted.