Perfect Picks 2026: Jacksonville Jaguars

By Simon Carroll

All things considered, year one under the new regime in Jacksonville went as well as any Jaguars fan could imagine. General Manager James Gladstone fine-tuned the roster in his own image with an aggressive approach in the NFL Draft followed by some significant in-season trades; the big swing for Travis Hunter last April a real statement of intent, even if the two-way phenom’s rookie year ended early due to injury.

New head coach Liam Coen made the most of the talent at his disposal. Sending a fourth and a sixth round pick to the Raiders for Jakobi Meyers proved to be the catalyst for the Jags’ offense, leading to an eight-game winning streak to end the season and win the AFC South. It’s a conference that is fairly competitive, with the Texans at a similar level and the Colts only absent from playoff contention due to losing their quarterback down the stretch.

With Jacksonville losing key pieces in free agency, and no first round selection in the upcoming draft, can they reload for another run at the postseason? Let’s give them some perfect picks to help the Jaguars take the next step:

Round 2: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

Despite the key losses of running back Travis Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd, Jacksonville’s biggest need heading into the NFL Draft is reinforcing their defensive line. With eleven selections including four in the first 125 selections, there is definitely the chance that the aggressive Gladstone will look to move his way into the first round should a blue-chip piece fall down the board. But should the Jaguars stand pat, there will be options to address the trenches at pick 56.

What Coen and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile decide to do with Travon Walker likely dictates the direction of this pick. There is a school of thought they may prefer to kick the former number one overall selection inside, where the Jags are getting older and have a distinct lack of interior pass rush. That would make edge rusher the priority, but considering the coaching staff’s preference for versatility, both DT and EDGE reinforcements will be sought in this draft.

Caleb Banks, if it wasn’t for injury concerns, might be a top-ten draft pick. Unfortunately, his college career was blighted with spells on the sideline, and even his pre-draft process wasn’t immune from similar bad luck. Banks broke his foot at the combine, which means he won’t be able to get back on the field until at least June. Despite the fracture, he still put up outrageous numbers, confirming his status as one of the ‘freaks’ in this draft class. And when he’s healthy, he’s incredibly productive; 40 tackles, 8.5 TFL’s and 5.5 sacks at tackle for the Gators in the ‘23 and ‘24 seasons gives a hint at the ceiling the Jaguars could be getting with this pick.

Mid Round Gem: Michael Taaffe, S, Texas

Gladstone, in his own words, looks to target ‘intangibly rich’ prospects who bring more to the field than just size, strength and speed. That’s more than a nice soundbite; at the top of the draft it may be hard to overlook talent with elite athletic profiles, but as you get further down the draft you can certainly shift your focus to include complementary traits such as leadership, instincts and versatility.

Michael Taaffe brings those commodities and much more. Originally committed to Rice, Taaffe decided to bet on himself and walk-on at Texas. As a rotational contributor the safety eventually earned a scholarship with the Longhorns before becoming a key starter in the secondary the last two years. Taaffe won’t blow you away with his size; he’s as average a draft prospect in that regard as you can find for his position. But any restrictions his height and arm length may lead to have been negated with an unusually high level of on-field intelligence and football instincts.

Taaffe’s grasp of the game allows him to thrive in any defensive concept, and he complements his early play diagnosis with a quick-trigger when descending on the catch point. Hugely respected in Austin for his character and dedication, Taaffe turned these skills into 150 tackles, 6.5 TFL’s, three sacks and four interceptions his last two years in burnt orange. The Jaguars’ secondary was a problem in 2025, and more versatility to a position that lost the dependable Dewey Wingard will certainly be welcomed.

Late Round Sleeper: Elijah Culp, CB, James Madison

For some players, the lightbulb comes on a little later than others. And so it was for Elijah Culp, whose nomadic college career embraced four stops before he reached the level he knew he was capable of. After rebuilding himself at his hometown team Charlotte, Culp headed to JMU for his final season and became a starter for the Dukes as they won a Sun Belt Championship and an unprecedented spot in the College Football Playoffs.

Culp has a character profile that might not be for everyone. Whilst always good intentioned, his meticulous nature has caused him to question the reasoning behind requests that have rankled with previous coaches. But it’s a trait that has been admired by head coaches too, and this dedication to perfection enabled Culp to elevate to 46 tackles and an interception against Oregon in his last year at college. That intensity won’t scare off the Jaguars, who want strong characters and accountability in their locker room.

Culp is an absolute beast in man coverage, be it press or off. He’s a sticky pest of a cornerback who gives a receiver zero breathing space throughout the route, and that clingy nature may see an increase in yellow laundry being thrown his way by NFL officials. With a blazing 4.34 second forty at his pro day, there’s a distinct feeling that Culp is only scratching the surface of his potential. As a diamond in the rough there’s little risk in the Jags using a seventh round pick on a corner whose upside could see him become a starter down the line.

Draft In Full:

#56 (R2) – Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

#81 (R3) – Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas

#88 (R3) – Kaleb Elams-Orr, LB, TCU

#100 (R3) – Drew Shelton, OT, Penn State

#124 (R4) – LT Overton, EDGE, Alabama

#164 (R5) – Michael Taaffe, S, Texas

#166 (R5) – Jack Kelly, LB, BYU

#203 (R6) – Lewis Bond, WR, Boston College

#233 (R7) – Shomari Lawrence, RB, Missouri State

#240 (R7) – Elijah Culp, CB, James Madison

#245 (R7) – Aamil Wagner, OT, Notre Dame

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

LEAD WRITER, HEAD OF CONTENT

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST, COVERS COLLEGE FOOTBALL FOR DAZN AND THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOR SB NATION.

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