The Jacksonville Jaguars bought themselves plenty of flexibility in the draft when they traded for defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro. While they could make further additions to the interior defensive line at No. 56, it's no longer their most pressing need and can instead address other positions. The linebacker corps could be one of them.
Even though the Jags have a well-rounded group, with Foyesade Oluokun, Ventrell Miller, Jack Kiser, Dennis Gardeck, Yasir Abdullah, and Branson Combs, they could add a game-altering talent to fill the void left by Devin Lloyd's departure in free agency. And if that's the route general manager James Gladstone wants to take, a prominent NFL analyst came up with an enticing suggestion.
Albert Breer predicts the Jaguars will target Georgia linebacker CJ Allen
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared what he's hearing around the league ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. He said that the Jags will be fine without a first-round pick, adding that they have enough ammo to either take a swing at defensive tackle Caleb Banks or play it safe with linebacker CJ Allen at No. 56. Here's the skinny.
"I'm not gonna lie—I kind of love where Jacksonville is," Beer wrote. "If there's a year where you really don't need that end-of-the-first-round pick, this is it. And the Jags still have four picks in the top 100. With that sort of capital, they could roll the dice on a higher-risk guy like Florida Caleb Banks at 56, or play it safe and fill a need with a guy like Georgia LB CJ Allen. Bottom line, they're positioned nicely, even without a first-rounder."
On a related note, Breer identifies defensive tackle, off-linebacker, running back, safety, and the pass rush as Jacksonville's biggest roster voids. Circling back to his prediction, the Jags have to force a pick at defensive tackle in Round 2 with Ruker Orhorhoro in the mix. They could easily address other needs and bolster the interior defensive line.
And if James Gladstone goes linebacker at No. 56, he'll have several options. Jacob Rodriguez could end up going in Round 1 b, but there's a chance he will slide to the second. Anthony Hill Jr., along with Jake Golday, would be other alternatives in case the Jags want to add reinforcements at the position.
CJ Allen, on the other hand, has rarely been named in connection to the Jags throughout the draft process, but it's not for a lack of game-changing skills. At 6'1" and 230 pounds, he thrived in different roles on the Bulldogs defense, stymying the run and dropping in coverage.
This begs the question: if he's so talented, why aren't the Jaguars being discussed as a legitimate landing spot? The answer is easy: He's projected to go in the first round. Heck, he's ranked 24th in Fansided's top 50 big board because of his speed, pursuit, and coverage skills.
Why it would make sense for the Jaguars to draft CJ Allen?
Even before the Jaguars traded for Ruke Orhorhoro, linebacker had emerged as their biggest need in several mock drafts. This is a bit surprising because, sure, they lost Devin Lloyd, but the coaching staff appears to be high on Ventrell Miller, with head coach Liam Coen saying that the 2023 fourth-round pick should be thrilled the team hasn't brought in anyone to compete with h
Still, Jacksonville won't hesitate to make upgrades to a position group even if it's in good shape. James Gladstone has made it clear that he'll be looking to raise the roster's ceiling, and if they think CJ Allen would be an upgrade over Miller, they'll pick him if he's available at No. 56.
The truth is that the Jaguars are in need of linebacker help, but they won't pass up the chance to add a game-changer at the position if the opportunity arises.
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