Even though the Jacksonville Jaguars came out of the 2026 NFL Draft with an intriguing (if controversial) haul, they failed to properly address the pass rush. Sure, they took Wesley Williams and Zach Durfee in Rounds 4 and 7, but the expectation was that they were going to take a No. 3 on Day 2 to bolster the rotation behind the terrifying duo of Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.
Now, the pass rush may not turn out to be as big an issue as it's portrayed to be, but there's an equal chance Jacksonville will need to add reinforcements to its rotation next year. That's precisely what an NFL analyst predicts in his latest mock draft.
The Jaguars pick LSU pass rusher Jordan Ross in CBS Sports' 2027 NFL Mock Draft
Mike Renner of CBS Sports did a 2027 NFL mock draft and had the Jaguars taking Jordan Ross at No. 17, arguing that the LSU Tiger has the physical tools to wreak havoc in the pros.
"A powerful edge rusher who leverages a low center of gravity to collapse the pocket and physically overwhelm blockers," Renner wrote. "Ross displays impressive agility to redirect in space: inline TEs will struggle to block him in the run game."
Ross just transferred to LSU after spending two seasons at Tennessee. He barely played in 2024 but appeared in 11 games for the Vols last year, registering 23 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, and 1.5 sacks.
As you can see, Ross is more of a traits-first kind of prospect at this stage of his collegiate career, but the expectation is that he's going to take off on the Tigers' defense. If he does, he'll be an intriguing acquisition in Round 1 next year.
It's also worth noting that Josh Hines-Allen's contract runs through 2027, so Ross would serve as insurance in case he eventually bolts.
Drafting Jordan Ross would confirm the Jaguars haven't bolsterd the pass rush
There's no doubt that drafting Jordan Ross would address one of Jacksonville's biggest needs. Having said that, it doesn't offer a promising outlook for 2026.
Sure, that the Jags are on the clock at No. 17 means that they will make the playoffs but will get knocked out in Wild Card Weekend — at least it's better than a mock in which they don't even get it.
On the other hand, if the Jags take Ross or any other pass rusher early in next year's draft, it would show that they didn't do enough to fortify the pass rush this year. You could argue that they don't need to invest a high draft pick in a pass rusher because they already have Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen, but they've been missing a No. 3 that can round out their rotation.
Perhaps sophomore Danny Striggow can make strides next season, or maybe rookies Wesley Williams and Zach Durfee become part of the solution. However, there's an equal chance that Jacksonville will need to address the pass rush next year because it neglected it in 2026.
In the Jags' defense, they carried lots of dead money in 2026 (over $56 million), and didn't want to further add to the depth. This might have been why they didn't take a big swing to fortify the pass rush. On top of that, they wanted to prioritize other roster needs in the NFL Draft.
But regardless of how things play out next season, landing Jordan Ross in the draft wouldn't be a bad outcome.
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