Who Experts Are Projecting for Jaguars At No. 56 and What They Got Right

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- With Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft set to kick off in just a few hours, all eyes in Jacksonville are now on pick No. 56.

As things currently stand, the No. 56 pick is set to be the first pick for the Jaguars and general manager James Gladstone to utilize on Friday. Gladstone and the Jaguars also have three third-round picks, but the first pick of a draft class always sets the tone, and that is No. 56 for the Jaguars.

So, what does the landscape of the No. 56 pick look like for the Jaguars when going off the projections of the draft experts? We take a look at each option below, and weigh in on whether the fit is right for the Jaguars or not.

Texas Tech DL Lee Hunter

CBS Sports has the Jaguars selecting Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter to the Jaguars, which actually was one of the most common mock draft pairings for the Jaguars during much of the early draft process. The fit has not been as popular since Hunter had a rough showing at the NFL Scouting Combine, but the logic still applies of the Jaguars needing to add another nose tackle. Hunter is still one of the top nose tackle prospects in this class, even if his hype has cooled.

Hunter would not be bad value at No. 56 considering he comes in at No. 45 on the consensus board, and if the Jaguars do not trade up then there is a chance he is one of the best players still on the board. The Jaguars do have a legit need for another nose tackle on the roster, so there are not a ton of holes to poke in this one.

The biggest issue here is determining whether Hunter is different enough from other nose tackles on Day 2 to warrant the selection. With the way the EDGE and LB units have fallen so far, the Jaguars might be better off waiting to take a nose tackle unless it is a top name like Ohio State's Kayden McDonald.

Oklahoma EDGE R. Mason Thomas

ESPN's Matt Miller has the Jaguars taking R. Mason Thomas at No. 56, and he is an absolutely fascinating option. On the surface, he is a true outlier as a prospect due to his small frame and lack of length. Considering the other defensive ends the Jaguars have on the roster, Thomas would certainly be one-of-a-kind as a fastball pass-rusher who brings a spark of speed. BJ Green has some similar traits, but otherwise the Jaguars' defensive ends are bigger and have more power to their game.

With that in mind, the Jaguars and Gladstone have been willing to invest in outliers before. The Rams never cared much for physical thresholds when Gladstone was there, and there is no real reason to think the Jaguars should care about those things now. The fact that Thomas is so different from the rest of the Jaguars' edge room could actually work in his favor, too.

Would Anthony Campanile and the Jaguars be on board with a player who might be a pass-rush specialist player early on in his career? That remains to be seen. But if the Jaguars want to give their edge rush a shot in the arm, then this is one interesting way to go. He is also ranked at No. 47 on the consensus board, which would give the Jaguars some solid value at No. 56 overall.

Iowa State IDL Domonique Orange

The Athletic mocked Domonique Orange to the Jaguars at No. 56 and, while we are fans of Orange's game, this would be a jarringly poor process by the Jaguars. We have already made the case for the pros and cons of taking a nose tackle at No. 56, but the buck at that conversation stops after McDonald and Hunter. Otherwise, any other nose tackle at No. 56 would see the Jaguars sacrificing value for no reason at all.

Orange, who looks like a promising two-down player, ranks No. 70 on the consensus board. It would not be an outrageous reach, but it would still qualify as a reach and would show the Jaguars making a concession just to fill a need. There will be much better options for the Jaguars at No. 56, and Orange is someone who they couyld afford to wait on during Round 3 if they want him so badly.

Orange has a lot of positives to his game, an intangibly rich background, and certainly fits the strong run defense that the Jaguars strive to find in their defensive linemen. But this just feels much too early for them to consider, and this also feels like the kind of move Gladstone would not make.

Georgia LB CJ Allen

Sports Illustrated's Daniel Flick has the Jaguars taking Georgia linebacker CJ Allen at No. 56 overall, and it is hard to not be impressed with that kind of pickup. The Jaguars lost a lot of production with Devin Lloyd leaving in free agency, and Allen is arguably the best linebacker in the entire draft who did not go to Ohio State. Allen looks like he could start as a rookie and then not be a worry for much of the next decade.

Allen, who ranks at No. 35 on the consensus board, would also be the best value for the Jaguars out of the players presented on this list. Allen does not exactly have a skill set that is similar to Lloyd's, but he could step in and make an impact next to Foyesade Oluokun.

There is also the fact the Jaguars do not need their rookie linebacker to start Week 1 just because he was drafted highly. The Jaguars are clearly comfortable with Ventrell Miller starting if he needs to, and the two could engage in a fascinating training camp battle over the next few months. Either way, ghe could be a long-term answer for the Jaguars at either linebacker spot.

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