The Jacksonville Jaguars have gotten lots of criticism for their draft approach. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN wasn't too fond of their strategy, mincing no words when questioning general manager James Gladstone. Having said that, the Jags broke conventional wisdom, wanting to do things their way.
While it's hard to tell whether their draft class will be a success, it's already raised immediate concerns.
The Jaguars are being questioned for not drafting competion for Ventrell Miller
Kevin Patra of NFL Media took a look at every team's 2026 draft haul. Regarding the Jags, he raised concerns about their strategy, pointing out that he was a bit surprised that Jacksonville didn't add a linebacker in the early rounds to compete with 2023 fourth-round pick Ventrell Miller for the starting job next to Foyesade Oluokun.
"The Jaguars didn't draft a linebacker, setting the stage for Miller to take over," Patra wrote. "He was always going to get the first crack at replacing Lloyd in the middle of the defense, but not selecting a rookie to potentially push Miller is somewhat of a surprise. If the fourth-year pro struggles, particularly in coverage, it could become a concern."
Patra also wonders whether the Jags will truly deploy Travis Hunter as a corner full-time and how he'll fare.
"Now that we've gotten past the draft, questions about Hunter's role will only increase as we head toward training camp. Will they indeed use the dynamic playmaker primarily as a corner, and how might he respond if that's the case?" Patra wrote.
The Jaguars appear to be set at cornerback. They re-signed Montaric Brown before free agency, and Hunter will tentatively start opposite him, with Jarrian Jones and Jourdan Lewis serving as the primary options in the slot. However, Jacksonville could have used depth at corner and didn't use a single pick on the position. Instead, the team's brass brought in Devon Marshall and Preston Hodge as undrafted free agents.
Lastly, Patra points out that the Jags didn't fortify the pass rush until they took Wesley Williams in Round 4. This leads him to ask if they did enough to upgrade a pass rush that struggled to bring the heat at times last year.
It's worth mentioning that the Jags also drafted Zach Durfee, this year's Project X, in Round 7, so the cupboard isn't fully bare. That said, it's easy to see why there's skepticism surrounding the team's decision not to address the pass rush in the early rounds of the draft.
The Jaguars are hoping their late-round picks become impact contributors
You could make the case that the Jaguars should have drafted Anthony Hill Jr. or Jacob Rodriguez to compete with Ventrell Miller, but the coaching staff is confident he can fill in the void left by Devin Lloyd's departure. On the other hand, Jacksonville should look for reinforcements at cornerback. The top of the depth chart looks fine, but it would be a good idea to look for insurance in case the injury bug strikes.
Similarly, it will be interesting to see if the Jaguars did enough to improve the pass rush. They did trade for Ruke Orhorhoro and later drafted Albert Regis. With them in the mix, Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen may encounter more favorable matchups next season. But maybe Jacksonville didn't draft a true No. 3 behind them because it thinks sophomore Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II can make strides.
The truth is that the Jaguars did raise questions with their draft approach. However, they trust their process, and if things pan out, their haul will look much better two years from now.
Add us as a preferred source on Google