Prospects for Jaguars to Consider on the Defensive Line

This will be the second offseason under head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The first one last offseason was good for this group, and you saw their moves play out by the type of season this team had last year.

The Jaguars want to have a season like that once again, but at the same time, improve their team. This offseason could look different for the Jaguars as they have to decide on some players.

Gladstone has done a great job over the years of finding the right talent for the teams that he has been a part of. Gladstone knows how to find the players that are not flying high on other teams' radar, and that is when he makes his move to get them in the draft.

With the Jaguars not having a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, it is even more crucial for the Jaguars to hit on their picks. They will do their homework and go after the prospects they want to get a better win.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen speaks during a press conference as general manager James Gladstone looks on at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Defensive Linemen Prospects to Watch for Jaguars

One area of this team that they want to get better at this offseason is the defensive line. The Jaguars want to do a better job of getting after the quarterback and getting those sack numbers to go up. Last season, they did a decent job, but they know if they want to get further into the season next year, they are going to have to address the defensive line. The draft looks to be the best option for the Jaguars when they look at their defensive line.

"Jeremiah has Mesidor in the next group, with guys such as Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell, Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, and Clemson’s T.J. Parker, all of whom could be gone in the first round," said Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, left, and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli walk on the field before an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"In the mix right around there are prospects like Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas and Missouri’s Zion Young, depending on what you’re looking for, and the depth should keep the edge rusher options stocked for teams into the third round. And Michigan’s Derrick Moore, and Auburn’s Keyron Crawford, and Illinois’s Gabe Jacas, and so on and so on."

“The edge and linebackers can get a little bit wonky there, how they list them,” Jeremiah said. “But five D-ends, four linebackers, you have on average over the last five years in the top 50. So even if you were to assume all four of those linebackers were edges, which they aren’t, right now I have nine edge rushers in my top 50 players with literally two more knocking on the door. It’s going to be a bunch of these guys rolling.”

Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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