The One Big-Money Free Agent the Jaguars Should Consider

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are being built the right way.

The Jaguars have gone for the draft-and-develop approach before, only for free agency to come calling their name again once coaches and executives began to panic about their job security. Now, though, the Jaguars truly do feel like a team that is set to live off the draft while using free agency as a supplement in roster building.

With that in mind, there is one player set to hit free agency and earn big money in March the Jaguars should consider, even if it means straying outside their intended approach otherwise.

One Big Fish

On first glance, the 2026 free agent class doesn't appear to be all that impressive. It lacks both depth and star power, which means some solid players will see their markets bumped up. One of those players could be Denver Broncos defensive lineman John Franklin-Meyers, who has ties to the Jaguars' brass already via general manager James Gladstone.

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers (98) reacts after a sack against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

John Franklin-Meyers got his start when the Los Angeles Rams, with Gladstone in the front office and Liam Coen on the offensive staff, drafted him in the fourth-round of the NFL Draft. He appeared in 16 regular-season games and recorded two sacks as a backup, before getting cut after the 2019 training camp.

Since then, Franklin-Meyers has created quite the career for himself. He went on to become a full-time player with the New York Jets, starting 52 games and recording 17.5 sacks as a core piece of their defense. Eventually, the Jets traded him to the Broncos and he responded with career-high sack numbers in both 2024 and 2025.

Now Franklin-Meyers is set to hit free agency as a 29-year-old, giving him a chance to cash in as teams look for pass-rush help. Trey Hendrickson and Jalen Phillips are set to be the top pass-rushers on the market, but Franklin-Meyers is not far behind them.

ESPN's list of the top-50 free agents for 2026 has Franklin-Meyers as the 11th-best free agent in the upcoming class, with only Hendrickson, Phillips, and Odafe Oweh in front of him along the defensive line.

"Franklin-Myers lacks the lateral speed and bend to turn pressures into a bunch of sacks from edge alignments. But he's an active inside rusher who can play as a defensive tackle or 5-technique with his 6-foot-4, 288-pound frame. He had 7.5 sacks and 23 pressures this season," ESPN said.

If you recall how the Jaguars used their edge players last season (sometimes having them play 4i techniques and even double-gap as run defenders), then Franklin-Meyers sounds like exactly their type. Add in what he can do as an interior rusher, and he seems like a big fish worth going after.

Oct 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers (98) and cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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