With the 2026 NFL draft near, we will be taking a position-by-position look at where things stand with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The draft will take place from Apr. 23-25. Although the Jaguars are without a first-round pick, GM James Gladstone does have 11 picks in total to work with — tied for the second-most in the NFL.
He also has four selections in the top 100, giving him the ability to still address key needs and the flexibility to let the board dictate what he does or move around as he sees fit.
Up next in our preview are the defensive ends. If you missed our other previews, you can find them below.
Defensive ends on the roster before 2026 NFL draft
Jaguars’ offseason moves at defensive end
What is the Jaguars’ need at defensive end in the NFL draft?
At a minimum, more depth is needed at this position. The Jaguars need to add several more players to round out their training camp roster, but boosting the depth, in turn, hopefully elevates competition and raises the floor of this unit.
But beyond that, while the Jaguars are situated well at the top of this position with Hines-Allen and Walker, more steady pass rush production from the rotational members of this unit is needed. Last season, Jacksonville ranked 18th in pressure rate and 27th in sacks as a collective group.
Given that there are only four players under contract, this is a position where the Jaguars could double-dip in the NFL draft.
Top defensive end prospects in the 2026 NFL draft
With help from the consensus big board, here are the top defensive end prospects in this year’s draft class outside of the top 40, since the Jaguars’ first pick does not come until 56th overall.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Previewing Jaguars defensive end position ahead of 2026 NFL draft
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
