The Jacksonville Jaguars went from having one of the five worst records in the 2024 NFL season to being a powerhouse in the AFC in 2025. The Jaguars have had a pretty strong collection of talent for a few years now, but Doug Pederson wasn't able to unlock their potential for more than one season, and the combination of Liam Coen as head coach and James Gladstone in the GM seat was the right one to get them back on track.
Entering the 2026 offseason, the Jaguars have clearly had a plan to exercise patience, and that's what they've done. Even after losing players like running back Travis Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd in free agency, they have only signed one outside free agent: Running back Chris Rodriguez.
The Jaguars are entering the 2026 NFL Draft without a first-round pick, but they still have five picks in the first four rounds and four picks in the top 100 overall. They can still do some damage and address key needs with those selections, and that's exactly what we're going to do in this mock draft to keep them on top of the AFC South. How will the Jaguars spend their top five picks in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Jacksonville Jaguars get insane value in 2026 NFL mock draft predictions
Round 2 | 56th overall: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
Although the Jaguars might feel good about Ventrell Miller taking over as the starting linebacker next to Foye Oladokun, it could be extremely difficult to pass on a prospect like Anthony Hill Jr. or Jacob Rodriguez at pick 56 overall if either are still on the board.
Miller has only been a part-time defensive player and special teams ace up to this point, and he's already entering a contract year as a 4th-round pick in 2023. You also never know when coaches hyping up players on the roster before the draft is meant to be a smokescreen. We'll know soon enough, but the best player on the board at 56 is very likely to be Anthony Hill Jr. if he's still available.
The ultra-athletic linebacker out of Texas can slide right into the role Devin Lloyd had and be a playmaker for that Jaguars' defense.
Round 3 | 81st overall: Bud Clark, SAF, TCU
As you look over the Jaguars' roster, the safety position stands out as needing an influx of a couple of young guys to come in and compete, maybe even to start as early as 2026. Losing veteran Andrew Wingard was an underrated departure this offseason for the Jags, so they're going to need some reinforcements.
Antonio Johnson is a free agent after this season, and veteran Eric Murray just turned 32 in January. He's not a long-term option.
The Jaguars will probably love a player like Bud Clark, whose combination of playmaking ability and physicality could make an impact immediately in their defense.
Round 3 | 88th overall: Tyler Onyedim, DL, Texas A&M
One of the Jaguars' top needs heading into this draft is the interior defensive line, and one of the most underrated players who can help them address that on Day 2 is Texas A&M defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim.
Onyedim was previously at Iowa State for four years before transferring over to Texas A&M, which has become a bit of a common thing for top-tier players on the defensive front at the college level these days. He capitalized on the move, racking up 8.5 tackles for loss and 48 total tackles, both the highest numbers of his collegiate career.
Onyedim looks like he could immediately be an impact run defender at the NFL level with upside in the pass rush department.
Round 3 | 100th overall: Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska
The Jaguars have a number of options on the roster right now at the running back spot, even after Travis Etienne left for the Saints in free agency. But at some point within their top-five picks, it wouldn't be a shock to see them go after a back who can bring some of that big play ability they will be missing without Etienne.
Emmett Johnson didn't blow people away with his 40-yard dash time, but he was outstanding as an all-around back at Nebraska and has the traits to be an impact player in the passing game from the running back position at the next level. Between Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, LeQuint Allen Jr., and Emmett Johnson, the Jaguars can replace Etienne by committee.
Round 4 | 124th overall: Jaishawn Barham, EDGE, Michigan
To round out this top-5 mock draft for the Jaguars, we've got them addressing their pass rush depth with Jaishawn Barham, a fascinating study for this year's draft class. He's a big, athletic off-ball linebacker who is good enough as a pass rusher that some out there believe he's going to play full-time EDGE in the NFL.
He had a season-high 10 tackles for loss this past season and was a playmaker all over the place for Michigan's defense. Anthony Campanille will be able to get the most out of him at the next level.