Jaguars Could Benefit From Unforeseen Combine-Driven NFL Draft Slide

The Jacksonville Jaguars might not have a first-round pick, but they could still land a first-round talent in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone looks on from the sideline against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Every single year, the NFL Draft manages to surprise everyone. As someone who started covering the league after beginning my sports writing career with the NBA, I can testify firsthand that the draft is much more unpredictable in football. There are a lot more prospects available, much less game tape to work with, more teams picking, and more selections to go around. All of that makes the NFL Draft much more volatile than the NBA's two-round affair.

Sometimes, that unpredictability manifests in someone going much higher than expected. Jacksonville Jaguars fans won't quickly forget when the team took Tyson Alualu at 10 when he was widely viewed as a borderline second-round talent. But just as often, a player can shockingly free-fall down the board, usually for off-field concerns, like with Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. He was considered a late-first-round prospect, but a variety of factors ultimately dropped him to the Cleveland Browns in the fifth.

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy (DB20) speaks to media members during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Could the Jacksonville Jaguars actually land Jermod McCoy?

The consensus around the 2026 NFL Draft is that this is an unusual class. There aren't really any standout elite prospects, especially at premium positions such as quarterback and EDGE. Practically all of the top players either have at least one glaring flaw, like Rueben Bain and his uncharacteristically short arms, or line up at a "budget" position, like safety Caleb Downs or running back Jeremiyah Love.

This is such a unique class that one of the top cornerbacks available didn't even play this past season. Despite missing the entire 2025 campaign after tearing his ACL last January, Tennessee's Jermod McCoy is CB1 for analysts like ESPN's Mel Kiper and Field Yates. That's less an indictment of players like LSU's Mansoor Delane and Clemson's Aveion Terrell than it is praise for what McCoy put on tape in his sophomore season for the Volunteers.

Is Jermod McCoy this years Chase?

Guys been sitting out all year & people really forgot this dude is a consensus top 5 pick pre injury

pic.twitter.com/XcT7FfRqRE https://t.co/4N3YXJYy5A

— JoeRobbie (@JoeRobbie_) February 24, 2026

Simply put, he was absolutely incredible in 2024. Had he been healthy this past year and put up similar production to that of his second season, he could have been a top-five pick. Now, he might not even go in the first round. While he's been completely cleared physically, McCoy has declined to participate in the testing drills at the 2026 NFL Draft Combine.

While he stated that he'll perform at his pro day, this small hiccup could be enough for general managers around the league to balk at the idea of drafting him. After all, he hasn't taken the field in over a year and doesn't feel like his body is ready 13 months after tearing his ACL.

If he does fall to 56 or close enough, the Jacksonville Jaguars should be ready to pounce, though. It's not often that they'll get the chance to add a top-five talent in the second round or seamlessly replace a player like Montaric Brown.

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