College football season is back, and so is the early Jaguars draft board.
With Week 1 getting underway, there are already a handful of names worth filing away for Jacksonville as next spring starts to come into view. The Jaguars have some current answers at a few spots, but this is the kind of time of year when the eye naturally drifts toward what could be coming next.
Running back is one of those positions. Jacksonville has Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez Jr., LeQuint Allen Jr., and Ameer Abdullah in the room, but the team has spent the last two offseasons getting linked to backs without landing one.
J.K Dobbins, Kenneth Walker, Ashton Jeanty, R.J. Harvey, and Jadarian Price all came up along the way.
At some point, the swing feels inevitable.
That’s part of what makes Florida back Jadan Baugh such an interesting name to watch right away. He ran for 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns last season, added 210 receiving yards, and caught 33 passes. Against FAU, he could be set up for a huge showing, and by next April he could be staring at first-round status.
Cornerback is another spot that deserves a glance forward. The Jaguars’ group includes Travis Hunter, Montaric Brown, Jourdan Lewis, and Jarrian Jones, but the long-term picture still has some moving parts. It remains to be seen whether Lewis is on the roster in 2027, Jones is heading into a contract year, and Hunter is the only corner Jacksonville has drafted over the last two years.
That puts Mississippi State’s Kelley Jones on the radar. He’s a big, physical corner with plenty of snaps already on his resume, and he’d bring a different kind of body to the position. His matchup against LA-Monroe should give him a fairly manageable start to the season.
Up front, Carter Smith is another player to keep close tabs on. The Indiana Hooisers tackle protected Fernando Mendoza’s blindside in last year’s championship-winning offense and has appeared in 43 games in his career. The redshirt senior has also logged snaps at right tackle, which only adds to his appeal.
Smith opens against North Texas, and a strong start would make him a name to remember for a Jaguars team that can always use more help at tackle. With tackle depth looking like a likely focus next offseason, players like Smith matter even more.
On the defensive side, A.J. Holmes earned second-tea, All-American honors last season after posting 38 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, and 4.5 sacks. He was a force inside for the Red Raiders and looks like a natural fit at the three technique spot.
That’s especially relevant for Jacksonville, where the need for help at defensive tackle could be real next offseason unless Ruke Orhorhoro breaks out. Right now, Orhorhoro sits behind Matt Dickerson on the depth chart, while Arik Armstead is in the final year of his deal, Albert Regis is more of a nose tackle, and Dickerson is an older player.
Linebacker is another area where the future is still murky. The Jaguars made it a talking point last April, but didn’t address it until the seventh round, taking Middle Tennessee State linebacker Parker Hughes with their 10th and final pick. Now they’re heading into the 2026 season with just five linebackers on the roster and a lot of uncertainty next to veteran middle linebacker Foyesade Oluokun.
That makes Notre Dame’s Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa a name worth following. He finished last season with 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, and he brings the kind of versatility and playmaking ability that could make him a long-term answer in the middle of the defense.
In Other News...
Jaguars Cuts Are Already Creating A Post-Roster Debate
The Jaguars move to get down to 53 players and fill out the practice squad with 17 signings brought the usual late-August churn, but it also left a few familiar names in circulation. Jacksonville kept several players it waived in the organization, while former Jaguars such as Chuma Edoga, DeeJay Dallas, Patrick Herbert and Jalen Hunt quickly found new landing spots, either on other teams practice squads or as free agents.
Yasir Abdullah drew the sharpest reaction because Atlanta claimed him for its 53-man roster, a reminder that the waiver wire can turn a depth decision into a loss almost immediately. Elsewhere, other ex-Jaguars surfaced with clubs like the Ravens, Vikings and Chargers, which only adds to the conversation around which moves were simple numbers games and which ones might linger if Jacksonville needs help later in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face An Early Travis Hunter Dilemma They Cant Ignore
Travis Hunter arrived in Jacksonville with the kind of rare profile that can reshape a roster, and the Jaguars did not draft him second overall to treat him like an ordinary rookie. He has already made it clear he wants to play both wide receiver and cornerback full time, which is part of what made him such a tantalizing pick in the first place. But his first season also offered a reminder that special talent still has to survive the grind of an NFL year, with injury limiting how much he could actually impact the game on either side of the ball.
Liam Coen is already signaling the balancing act ahead. The Jaguars plan to fold Hunter into the offense in a measured way, using him in specific packages rather than turning him loose as a full-time weapon, while also being careful with how they handle his recovery and overall workload. For Jacksonville, the appeal is obvious, but so is the risk, and the early question around Hunter is no longer whether he can be used everywhere at once. It is how far the Jaguars are willing to go before they ask him to do even more. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Could Have One More Tough Roster Decision Before Week 1
James Gladstone has already been busy reshaping the Jaguars roster, striking two recent trades involving quarterback Quinn Ewers and tight end Hunter Long. Those moves fit a broader pattern of a front office that appears willing to keep adjusting as the team gets closer to Week 1, especially with the roster still taking shape around injuries and overall depth.
Walker Little is one name worth watching if Cole Van Lanen comes back from injury and the offensive line picture becomes clearer. Jacksonville also could look outside the building for help, with New Orleans linebacker Pete Werner mentioned as a possible target if the Jaguars want to shore up that spot, making the next few days feel like a final round of roster sorting before the opener. [Read more 🡒]