The Jacksonville Jaguars caught a lot of heat in the 2026 NFL Draft for going against the norm, following their own board instead of falling in line with the consensus. But once the dust has settled, their rookie class doesn't seem nearly as bad as analysts originally believed.
Heck, the Jags are slowly beginning to earn praise for defying conventions. And if there was any doubt that they might have gotten it right, a collegue executive just hyped up their rookie class.
The NFL has NFL-ready players in CJ Williams, Albert Regis, and Jalen Huskey
Shrine Bowl director of football operations and player personnel Erik Galko posted on Twitter that the Jaguars came out of the NFL Draft with NFL-ready talent, highlighting Albert Regis, Jalen Huskey, Wes Williams, and receiver CJ Williams.
Balko also heaped praise on Michael Wortham, Garrett DiGirgio, cornerback Devon Marshall, and Bryan Thomas, all of whom signed with Jacksonville as undrafted free agents.
#Jaguars had a very high floor draft with NFL-ready talent, including 4️⃣ @ShrineBowl players.
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) May 18, 2026
🪨Albert Regis - Powerful, interior penetrator with high football IQ
↔️Jalen Huskey - Versatile, highly experienced safety with ST value
🌪️Wes Williams - Strong, active edge player… pic.twitter.com/ug3srztMGN
This is a breath of fresh air when you take into account that the Jags were blasted for their draft class, with several analysts pointing out that they reached for several picks, including tight end Nate Boerkircher.
On the other hand, general manager James Gladstone has made it clear that the Jaguars are following their own board. Liam Coen later echoed the sentiment when he said he doesn't care what others outside the building think. And throughout the process, they've shown a preference for players who love football but also go into the NFL with ample starting experience.
The downside is that some of these players are on the older side, but that may not ultimately matter much if they deal with a more gentle learning curve in the pros. Either way, the Jacksonville draft class may not be nearly as bad as it was originally thought.
The Jaguars are confident the 2026 draft class can have an instant impact
You could make the case that the Jaguars failed to properly address their biggest needs. In particular, they may not have done enough to bolster the interior defensive line and the pass rush. Having said that, Jacksonville wasn't in need of a massive overhaul and instead just needed reinforcements in both areas.
Albert Regis and Ruke Orhorhoro give defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile a couple of intriguing pieces to work with in the interior trenches. Similarly, Zach Durfee and Wesley Williams offer a pair of sleepers that can round out the rotation behind the scary pass-rush duo of Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen.
On defense, tight end Nate Boerkircher, who's gotten the most scrutiny, could give the Jags the final piece to unlock the offense, as he can serve as either a blocker or a pass-catcher in underneath routes. On the other hand, CJ Williams turned heads in training camp and could end up becoming a dependable WR5.
Granted, all these rookies have to first take the field before you can stay with a straight face that the Jaguars hit it out of the ballpark in the 2026 draft. Then again, Erik Balko's latest remarks confirm that their rookie class has massive upside.
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