The Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t made many big moves during free agency, with only one real signing so far this offseason. Otherwise, the focus has been on retaining talent when possible and addressing the Jaguars’ salary cap.
Several free agents, most notably Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd, signed with other teams as expected, while James Gladstone restructured the contracts for veterans like Robert Hainsey and Jourdan Lewis and re-signed others like Montaric Brown.
So far, there has only been one new addition: running back Chris Rodriguez, who will give much-needed depth to the position. Overall, the Jags’ roster still looks strong, but there are a few areas of need that could still use a little more help.
Defensive Tackle/Pass Rush
From the beginning, one of the largest priorities for Jacksonville has been to bolster the pass rush. The Jaguars’ defense saw massive improvement in 2025, particularly against the run, but they struggled more with pass rush.
There are still free agents available that the team could target, like DJ Reader, but Gladstone might elect to fill this position in the draft instead; this year’s draft class is heavy on defensive talent, so he will have lots of options.
Linebacker
There is an obvious void needing to be filled with the loss of Devin Lloyd. Thankfully, the Jaguars still have Foyesade Oluokun, a highly talented linebacker, to anchor the unit. But otherwise, the Jags will be looking to Ventrell Miller and Jack Kiser, but both are short on experience.
Ideally, Jacksonville will find an experienced veteran free agent to take most of the snaps next to Oluokun and serve as a mentor for Miller and Kiser, both of whom have plenty of talent and potential. But there will still need to be more help to fill Lloyd’s shoes.
Defensive End
This isn’t a major need, as the Jaguars thankfully have Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker anchoring this position. They’re both excellent players who aren’t going anywhere in 2026. But the Jags do need to add some more depth here, and while it likely isn’t an urgent enough need to pick someone up in free agency, this position would be a good target for the draft.
Overall, though, the fact that there are so few positions of need in Jacksonville speaks to how well James Gladstone built this roster last year, and confirms that the team is in good shape heading into 2026.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 3 positions Jaguars must address after first wave of free agency
Reporting by Casandra Chesser, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
