The Jacksonville Jaguars immediately became AFC contenders after hiring Liam Coen at head coach. Jacksonville dominated during the regular season, winning the AFC South division title and securing a home playoff game. Unfortunately, they lost a heartbreaking game against Buffalo and QB Josh Allen.
To make matters worse, the Jaguars suffered some major attrition during NFL free agency. They lost key players like Devin Lloyd, Greg Newsome II, and Travis Etienne without making any significant additions. In fact, the Jaguars only brought in one external free agent so far this offseason.
The Jaguars still have a talented, young roster. But there's still plenty of work to be done during GM James Gladstone's second draft as the leader in Jacksonville.
One position group stands out as Jacksonville's biggest need to address during the 2026 NFL Draft.
Jaguars need to add young talent at defensive tackle
Jacksonville still has a pretty solid defensive line on paper, especially when factoring in their edge rushers. But the Jaguars desperately need to add young defensive tackles to fortify the future of that position.
Starters Arik Armstead and DaVon Hamilton are both on expiring contracts. In fact, Maason Smith is Jacksonville's only defensive tackle under contract for the 2027 season. That would be an unacceptable situation if the Jaguars do not address the position during April's draft.
But future concerns aside, what happens if one of Jacksonville's starters suffers a major injury? If the Jaguars aren't concerned about the future yet, they should at least try to insulate themselves from injuries.
It is not too late for Jacksonville to sign a few more veterans at defensive tackle. The draft is still one month away and there are plenty of cheap veterans still on the market.
That said, the Jaguars only have ~$6 million in cap space with the draft fast approaching. They do not have much salary cap flexibility, which makes adding a few rookies even smarter.
Which defensive tackles could be good fits in Jacksonville's defense?
The Jaguars will be put to the test with their search for a new defensive tackle during the draft.
To start, defensive tackle is one of the weaker positions in this year's class. There are a few players who are truly worthy of a first-round pick. But because the supply is so limited, one or two teams might reach on a mid-round prospect in the first round.
That alone could make things difficult for Jacksonville. But their situation is even more difficult without having a first-round pick. Remember, the Jaguars sent their 2026 first rounder to the Browns in the Travis Hunter trade.
As a result, the Jaguars need to wait until their second-round pick (56th overall) to make their first selection. They could be helplessly out of reach of a game-changing defensive tackle unless they trade up.
But who should Jacksonville target in the first place?
Lee Hunter from Texas Tech could be a good fit. He projects as a nose tackle who can handle two-gap assignments. Christen Miller from Georgia has similar appeal and would be a steal in the second round.
Nose tackles have not been highly coveted in the modern NFL, so he could easily fall into the bottom of the second round.
Dominique Orange has many of the same traits as Hunter and could be available in the third round where Jacksonville has three selections.
Ultimately, the Jaguars may need to attack the position with volume instead of targeting the best player in the class.
