Jaguars Get ‘D' Grade Following 2026 NFL Draft
The 2026 NFL draft has completely wrapped up, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are coming out of it with some new players ready to take the field
Now, the NFL experts and analysts are weighing in on the picks, and it’s not looking great for the Jags.
NFL draft analyst Rob Rang of Fox Sports has brought out his tally of the best and worst moves in the NFL draft.
“It will take at least three years before we can truly assess how the 32 NFL teams fared over the weekend,” he notes in the piece. “But what is readily apparent is the different approaches that were taken, from going for the best available talent to focusing on team needs to gambling on character concerns and long-term potential.”
For the Jags, he gives them a “D” grade. That hurts, but remember that it’s just his opinion.
“Last year’s bold trade up for Travis Hunter meant that the Jaguars weren’t on the clock until No. 56 overall, and some Jacksonville fans might wish they had waited even longer after using their first pick on Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher, a player who I (and many others) projected to be available well into Day 3,” he states in the piece.
“Unfortunately, the trend continued throughout the entire draft with the Jaguars repeatedly selecting players who ranked much lower on my board than theirs,” he adds.
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So, is Rang right that the Jags missed their opportunity with this draft? In my opinion, it’s not that black and white.
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The team made 11 selections in the 2026 draft, and while some weren’t on NFL analysts’ radar - notably Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon, Duke’s Wesley Williams and Baylor’s Josh Cameron - that doesn’t mean they won’t bring something special to the team. This is that moment when the Jags can rise up and prove the experts wrong.
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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 5:05 PM.