Two Jacksonville Jaguars position groups have cracked the top 10 in ESPN’s latest ranking of NFL units heading into the 2026 season, and both sit on the same side of the ball.
Mike Clay recently sorted every position group from No. 1 through No. 32, and Jacksonville’s edge rushers landed at No. 5. The group is built around Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, a duo that gives the Jaguars real punch off the edge.
Hines-Allen posted the second-most quarterback pressures in football last season among edge rushers, while Walker’s 2025 campaign was interrupted by injuries. Even with that setback, Clay’s ranking reflects the belief that Walker remains an ascending player who can affect both the run and pass games while adding versatility to the position.
There’s also depth behind the top two. BJ Green and Danny Striggow head a younger group the Jaguars are counting on for rotational help, and the organization is banking on that upside to hold up over the course of the season.
Jacksonville’s cornerback room also checked in inside the top 10, another sign of how much talent is packed into the secondary. As a defense, the Jaguars were among the league’s best at creating takeaways last season, and their secondary finished fifth in yards per pass attempt allowed in 2025.
That unit appears poised to take another step in Year 2 under Anthony Campanile. Travis Hunter’s heavy involvement at cornerback only adds to the appeal, with Jourdan Lewis, Montaric Brown and Jarrian Jones rounding out the top of the depth chart.
The only other Jaguars group to get close was linebacker, which came in at No. 11.
In Other News...
Jaguars Face A Real Debate After ESPN's 2026 Warning
Bill Barnwells warning landed with a familiar sting for Jacksonville: the Jaguars were among the NFL teams he flagged as most likely to take a step back in 2026. The concern is rooted less in any one weakness than in how the 2025 season came together, with a string of close wins, a turnover margin that helped paper over some mistakes and a fumble recovery rate that may be hard to repeat. Even the late-season schedule break looked like part of the formula, which is usually a shaky foundation when a team is trying to prove it belongs in the leagues upper tier.
Still, this is not the profile of a team staring at a complete reset. The coaching setup remains intact, and there were real signs last season that the Jaguars were building better chemistry and getting healthier as the year went on. That is what makes the debate so interesting in Jacksonville right now: the warning signs are obvious enough to take seriously, but so are the reasons to believe the team has enough continuity to avoid a downturn. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Thomas Jr. Injury Concern Just Got Some Relief
Brian Thomas Jr. gave the Jaguars a small but important bit of good news heading into the next game, with head coach Liam Coen saying the young receiver is expected to be ready after dealing with a shoulder injury. For a Jacksonville offense that leans heavily on Thomas as one of its most dynamic playmakers, any concern around his availability tends to change the conversation quickly, especially this time of year when every week can matter for rhythm and playoff positioning.
The update does not erase the reason for the concern in the first place, but it does keep the Jaguars from having to spend the week bracing for a worst-case scenario. Thomas has become central to what Jacksonville wants to do through the air, so getting him back on track would stabilize a passing game that needs its top targets in place and, at minimum, gives Coen one less lineup question to manage before the next kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Joint Practice Just Clarified A Key Travis Hunter Debate
A joint practice with the Buccaneers gave the Jaguars a clearer look at how they want to deploy Travis Hunter, and the early answer leaned heavily toward cornerback. Hunter spent most of his work on defense, a notable clue in a camp where Jacksonville is also trying to settle other key jobs, including rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon locking down the left guard spot as the team keeps building continuity up front.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. also picked up plenty of work, especially in passing situations, while LeQuint Allen was out with an injury, adding another layer to the Jaguars backfield picture. But the biggest takeaway from the day was how much emphasis Jacksonville placed on its defensive backfield and offensive line, two areas where the Jaguars are still trying to sharpen chemistry before the season begins. [Read more 🡒]