The Jacksonville Jaguars caught a lot of heat in the 2026 draft because they ignored the consensus big board, opting instead to use their own internal process to make decisions. General manager James Gladstone, in particular, was heavily criticized for reaching for tight end Nate Boerkircher and other players. However, he earned widespread praise for taking Emmanuel Pregnon in Round 3. And based on the early results, it looks like the Jags indeed got a steal.
Pregnon was a Week 1 starter and has quickly become a staple of the Jacksonville offensive line. Not surprisingly, he earned recognition on a recent draft list.
Jaguars OL Emmanuel Pregnon is the top Round 3 pick from the 2026 draft
Justin Melo of Sports Illustrated ranked the 11 best third-round picks from the 2026 draft. He placed Emmanuel Pregnon at No. 1, arguing that he was a Week 1 starter and a big reason the Jaguars are 4-2.
"One of the most puzzling events of the 2027 Draft was seeing Emmanuel Pregnon slide to No. 88 overall," Melo wrote. "We had a borderline first-round grade on the dominant college guard. The Jacksonville Jaguars pounced on his draft-weekend slide and immediately inserted him into the starting lineup. Pregnon is helping anchor a 4-2 offense, and hasn't been credited with giving up a single sack so far."
For his part, head coach Liam Coen has been pleased with Pregnon, noting that he's performed well in spite of dealing with the learning curve that comes with being a rookie.
"With a rookie offensive lineman playing, it's always going to be some newness every week. That's why it's so good to get them this exposure and this experience," Coen told reporters before the Indianapolis Colts game in Week 8 (8:44 mark). "He's definitely brought a physicality to our group and a people mover to our group. The challenge is to continue to ascend and evolve at the second level, and as we go in space and at the second level, being able to use his length. You don't always have to maybe be in the perfect body position for him specifically to get a block done."
Coen continued, "And then if you are out of position, use your length as a weapon to be able to just stick an arm out there, and you can maybe be able to shield that guy or block him without getting into a compromising position where you may have to feel like you need to hold. I think he's done a nice job in pass protection, especially as of late. Specifically, he was challenged against Denver, obviously early in the year, which is great to be able to get that experience. But you talk about MAs and like missed assignments as a rookie, like that's not popping up."
Six games into his rookie season, Pregnon has appeared on 100 percent of the team's offensive snaps, giving up no sacks and 12 pressures.
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The Jaguars need more from their other 3-round picks
As good as Emmanuel Pregnon has been for the Jaguars, their other third-round picks have left a bit to be desired. Defensive tackle Albert Regis has barely played, logging just 18 defensive snaps, while Jalen Huskey has yet to play a single snap. To make matters worse, Kaevon Merriweather, who began the season on the practice squad, has moved ahead of Huskey on the depth chart.
In their defense, players' readiness is always variable coming out of the draft. Moreover, the Jaguars don't need either Regis or Huskey to contribute right now. That said, it's a bit worrisome that they can't get onto the football field, while Pregnon and tight end Nate Boerkircher are already making an impact.
Maybe the Jaguars will get more production from the rest of their rookie class in the second half of the season. But for the time being, they should be hyped up about Emmanuel Pregnon's progress.
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