The Jaguars spent this offseason checking off roster boxes, but the bigger conversation in Jacksonville is what comes next. The team has a fresh batch of additions headed toward the Miller Electric Center later this month, and the spotlight will be on the 2026 Jaguars. Still, the long view matters, and there are a few spots that already look like they could turn into real issues for general manager James Gladstone.
Linebacker is one of the clearest ones.
Jacksonville took a hit there when former All-Pro and first-round pick Devin Lloyd walked in free agency and signed with the Carolina Panthers. Since then, the Jaguars’ only notable move at the position has been seventh-round linebacker Parker Hughes, which is not exactly a heavy investment.
Right now, Ventrell Miller looks like the leading candidate to start next to Foyesade Oluokun, but he’ll have to win that job over 2025 undrafted free agent Branson Combs in camp. The room also includes 2025 fourth-rounder Jack Kiser, giving Jacksonville a trio of young, inexpensive linebackers.
That sounds workable in the short term. Long term, it also leaves a lot of unanswered questions, especially with Miller heading into a contract year.
There’s another wrinkle here too: Gladstone hasn’t really been part of front offices that made major linebacker splashes. As he put it after the 2026 draft: "Certainly think you can find quality players at a ton of different intervals, and we certainly had success towards the latter portion of drafts and also undrafted college free agency in Los Angeles, specifically at the linebacker position," Gladstone said after the 2026 draft.
Defensive tackle is another spot worth watching closely.
Arik Armstead and DaVon Hamilton are both steady veterans in the middle of the defense, but both are also playing on expiring contracts. The Jaguars did add some youth there this offseason, drafting Albert Regis in the third round and bringing in third-year veteran Ruke Orhorhoro.
Orhorhoro came into the league with plenty of pass-rush upside, while Jacksonville clearly believed enough in Regis to use the No. 81 pick on him in April. That suggests the Jaguars like what they’ve got coming.
But until either player actually takes a snap for Jacksonville, it’s hard to know how much they’ll shape the future of the position. And no matter what happens with the young players, the contract situations for Hamilton and Armstead still hang over the room.
If Jacksonville loses even one of those veterans, defensive tackle could become a must-add position when the 2027 offseason arrives.
Then there’s the offensive line, which has already been reshaped quite a bit under Gladstone.
The Jaguars have brought in starters Patrick Mekari and Robert Hainsey, along with backups Chuma Edgoa, Wyatt Milum, Emmanuel Pregnon, and Jonah Monheim. They’ve also kept holdovers like Cole Van Lanen, Anton Harrison, and Walker Little, so the group has a mix of familiar names and new faces.
Even so, the line could look very different in 2027. Cleveland is on an expiring deal and could be in his final season with the Jaguars if the team decides to move forward with its younger guards.
Mekari’s contract is movable next offseason as well. Jacksonville could choose to pivot away from both veterans and hand starting jobs to Pregnon and Milum, but that would leave some thinner spots behind them.
The tackle and center spots already have big money tied up, which makes guard the most natural place for Jacksonville to keep building through the draft and development pipeline. The Jaguars could also look to add useful depth in free agency if that’s the route they want to take behind a young starting group.
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