5 Former Jaguars Draft Picks Entering Make-or-Break Seasons in 2026

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- With the sky-high expectations facing the Jacksonville Jaguas entering the 2026 season, it isn't an exaggeration to say there are several players on the roster with plenty riding on their performance.

While that list of players can extend far beyond this list, we are going to focus this look on five former draft picks who look like they are entering make-or-break seasons when it comes to their time with the Jaguars.

So, which former Jaguars picks are entering pivotal years in 2026? We break down five below.

LB Ventrell Miller

A fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Miller is a part of a draft class that just saw Brenton Strange get paid, and Parker Washington and Antonio Johnson are likely to fetch big deals as well. That calls into question whether there will be enough left in the event that Miller has a standout year, but first Miller has to win the job to become Devin Lloyd's replacement.

As long as Miller does that, he will be entering his contract year as a first-year starter. That is a good scenario for his prospects considering the magic defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has worked with linebackers in the past, and Lloyd's breakout season a year ago is the best example yet. Miller and Lloyd have different traits and will likely be deployed differently as a result, but he could cash in big with a big year regardless.

OL Walker Little

A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Walker Little is a unique selection for this spot because he is the only player in the group who is not on a rookie deal. Former Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke signed Little to an extension with his final significant move in 2024, and Little opened last year as the Week 1 starter for the new regime.

Little was eventually replaced in the lineup by veteran backup Cole Van Lanen, who quickly earned a new contract in the process. But Van Lanen sustained an injury at the end of the season that kept him off the field during the offseason program, and it still remains to be seen exactly when he will be back on the field and in the lineup as the starting left tackle.

If Little has to open the season as left tackle for whatever reason, his value to the Jaguars coming off the 2025 season will be clear. Little has performed well in the past outside of stretches during the 2025 season, and he has the ability to play guard and right tackle. Coming up big for the Jaguars in a tough spot could do him wonders moving forward, even if his role has changed.

LB Jalen McLeod

The only player on this list who has been a part of one of the new regime's two draft classes to this point, sixth-round linebacker Jalen McLeod is a fascinating player entering his second training camp. He did not appear in a single game as a rookie as he fought through injuries, and he is now entering his second season needing to show something now that he is back on the field.

McLeod consistently stood out during the Jaguars' offseason program thanks to his traits as a pass-rusher, and McLeod said during minicamp earlier this month that he has spent time in the Jaguars' defensive line room along with his time with the linebackers. For a team that is still looking for pass-rush depth each chance they get, a breakout season from McLeod could be the sleeper addition that their lineup is needing.

McLeod, in a best-case scenario, likely projects as Dennis Gardeck's backup and as a special teamer in 2026. But if he can perform when the pads come on in August and September, he could play himself somewhere into the pass-rush rotation. Still, he will have to fight to earn a spot on the roster during training camp and the preseason, which must be the first step in his progress.

CB Christian Braswell

Perhaps the most interesting position battle on the Jaguars' roster (outside of the running back room) is when it comes to the cornerback depth chart. Former 2023 sixth-rounder Christian Braswell has been reliable depth in the cornerback room since being drafted and he played his biggest role yet a year ago, but he now has someone who can seriously push him at the cornerback position in second-year corner Jabbar Muhammad.

Muhammad was one of the true standout performers of the entire offseason, making big plays in seemingly every offseason practice the Jaguars held at the Miller Electric Center. An undrafted free agent a year ago, Muhammad earned the "most improved" label from head coach Liam Coen, and it is impossible to ignore the process he has made since he joined the franchise a year ago.

Both Braswell and Muhammad have played inside/out for the Jaguars during their stints with the team, so the fact that they are likely competing for the exact same role on the depth chart makes this a massive training camp for the veteran cornerback.

LB Yasir Abdullah

A fifth-rounder for the Jaguars in 2023, Abdullah has made his biggest impact in the NFL as a special teamer. He played 73% of the defensive snaps for special teams coordinator Heath Farwell in 2024 and then played 70% of them a year ago, which means the battle between him and McLeod to be Gardeck's backup could easily come down to that factor.

Abdullah only played two snaps on defense last year as Gardeck dominated the strong-side linebacker role in Anthony Campanile's defense, which means he will likely have to impress with limited defensive reps in his contract season. The fact that McLeod has shown some true upside as a pass-rusher could make things interesting between the two young linebackers, but it is worth remembering that it was Abdullah who stepped up on special teams and in the linebacker room a year ago when McLeod was unable to be in the lineup as a rookie.

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