As much as everyone likes to harp on drafting the best available players, every team prioritizes positions of need on its board.<\/p>\n
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a good bet to add pass rush depth behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, linebacker competition to compensate for Devin Lloyd\u2019s departure, and big-bodied skill players to diversify Liam Coen\u2019s offense.<\/p>\n
But which other positions should the Jaguars address sooner rather than later?<\/p>\n
As Jaguars Director of Player Finance Trip MacCracken said in the latest episode of The Hunt<\/a>, \u201cWe always have one eye not only on the immediate year, but also into the future, two, three, four years down the road.\u201d<\/p>\n Here are some under-the-radar positions to consider as the draft approaches.<\/p>\n One of the best individual player storylines from last season was Cole Van Lanen, who showcased his versatility and dependability by stepping in at multiple positions without missing a beat. He earned a contract extension during the season and a starting position going forward.<\/p>\n Otherwise, barring a standout training camp from a rookie, the starting offensive line doesn\u2019t figure to look much different. That\u2019s mostly a good thing; continuity up front is paramount.<\/p>\n Jacksonville\u2019s 2025 Week 1 lineup included Walker Little (now 27 years old), Ezra Cleveland (27), Robert Hainsey (27), Patrick Mekari (28), and Anton Harrison (24). Van Lanen (27) figures to replace Little as Trevor Lawrence\u2019s blindside protector. Harrison, a 2023 first-round pick who just got his fifth-year option picked up<\/a>, is the only name who really qualifies as a building block.<\/p>\n The offensive line is in a good spot, with no immediate fixes needed, but it\u2019s time to start thinking about long-term heirs along the interior. Cleveland is entering a contract season, and the team has outs to move on from Hainsey and Mekari\u2019s deals next offseason.<\/p>\n Even if the internal plan isn\u2019t to make wholesale changes in 2027, that could be the reality. Attrition hits this position harder than any other.<\/p>\n After Lloyd left in free agency, everybody and their brother started penciling in linebackers for the Jaguars in their mock drafts.<\/p>\n Jacksonville is sure to add a backer or three over the next handful of days, but it may not be just a reaction to Lloyd leaving. It could be a proactive measure regarding Foye Oluokun (turns 31 in August).<\/p>\n Oluokun said himself at the end of the 2025 season, \u201cWe were a great team, a good team, but we weren\u2019t good enough. I want to get better and better every year I play. And if I\u2019m not getting better, I\u2019m probably gonna be up out of here. I want to get better for the team, better for myself, in order to keep doing what I want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Father Time comes for everybody. As much as I\u2019d like to see Oluokun play another half-decade before retiring as a Jaguar, I also think the front office would be wise to think ahead.<\/p>\n Jacksonville already drafted Jack Kiser in the fourth round last year, but they may as well get more young cats into the room to learn from Oluokun and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile while they\u2019re still in town.<\/p>\n There are many lessons to be learned from the Seattle Seahawks\u2019 2025 Super Bowl defense, which suffocated opposing offenses all season long with ambiguous alignments, well-timed blitzes, and \u2014 as is typical for title-winners \u2014 waves and waves of pass rushers.<\/p>\n With the luxury of a daunting defensive line, Macdonald deployed a two-high safety shell and five or six defensive backs to discourage downfield passes. Thing is, the backend of Seattle\u2019s defense is just as talented as its front. With shapeshifting playmakers at every level of the defense, Macdonald can get to any play against any personnel package.<\/p>\n The football world has fallen in love with Seahawks safety and DROY runner-up Nick Emmanwori, a ferocious fastball of a defender who can play in the box\/across the slot\/along the edge\/wherever the hell Macdonald wants him. Everyone badly wants the next playbook-unlocking, middle-of-the-field defender like Emmanwori or Kyle Hamilton or Derwin James or Cooper DeJean.<\/p>\n Having one of those guys is a huge help, but really, Macdonald showed the value of fielding numerous versatile defenders to maximize schematic flexibility against various personnel packages.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what we value here, guys with a multiple skillset,\u201d Campanile said in an offseason interview with Action Sports Jax<\/a> when asked about Travon Walker\u2019s versatility. \u201cI think Antonio Johnson\u2019s one of those guys. He kind of gives us the opportunity to put him in at will linebacker, at safety, at nickel, he moves all around.\u201d<\/p>\n As you may remember, Johnson had a breakout campaign in his third season, earning the highest PFF grade (86.9) at his position and notching the second-most interceptions (5) in the league. Allow me to also remind you that Johnson is entering a contract season, and that fellow starting safety Eric Murray (turned 32 in January) has no guaranteed money on his deal after 2026.<\/p>\n