The Jacksonville Jaguars may have crashed out of the postseason in the Wild Card round by losing to the Buffalo Bills at home, but 2025 was still a huge success for this team. Between Liam Coen impressing in Year 1 and Trevor Lawrence having his best season, there is plenty to look forward to in Duval County.
Even though the Jags don't have their first-round pick this year as a result of the Travis Hunter trade, James Gladstone still has enough mid-round selections to do some damage and address the team's biggest needs.
The Jaguars can rebound from this loss and assert themselves as kings of the AFC South once again if they address the larger scale roster in the 2026 NFL Draft and continue to build a solid team around the foundation they set during Coen's debut season. With this in mind, here are the team's biggest needs ahead of the offseason.
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5. Running Back
Travis Etienne could hit the open market as a free agent, which would take a huge chunk of the offense's effectiveness away from them. While Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen seem like a serviceable duo, it wouldn't hurt to get one more name in the mix on Day 3.
4. Interior Offensive Line
The trio of Ezra Cleveland, Patrick Mekari, and Robert Hainsey is solid, but some of these veterans could be on the move soon. One of the few things Trent Baalke did right in Jacksonville was adding offensive linemen even when it wasn't the most pressing need, and Gladstone could add some depth if he is wise enough.
3. Safety
Between Caleb Ransaw's injury and veteran stopgaps Eric Murray and Andrew Wingard manning the starting spots, this room is due for a makeover. Even in a thin safety class, one of Jacksonville's third-rounders could be spent on a fringe starter for this room.
2. Cornerback
No matter what percentage of Hunter's snaps come on defense in 2026, Greg Newsome II's shortcomings illustrate how top-heavy the cornerback room is. If Montaric Brown is not resigned, this might be worth bumping up to the top spot in Gladstone's mind.
1. Pass Rusher
The pass rush often times consisted of Josh Hines-Allen carrying the unit by himself as Travon Walker's role shifted to less of a sack artist and more of a versatile lineman. More skill is needed in this area, which makes this the most likely area for Gladstone to target in the second round.