ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has put together his ranking of the best and worst skill position groups in the NFL entering 2026. So, where did the Jacksonville Jaguars end up?
Since these rankings are skill position specific, only the wide receiver, tight end, and running back units were a part of the evaluation.
Barnwell also pointed out a few other ground rules that went into constructing this list:
Where are the Jaguars in 2026 skill position rankings?
The Jaguars remain in the same slot that they were in a year ago — 18th. Entering the 2024 season, the Jaguars were 16th on Barnwell’s list.
This skill position unit is led by the wideouts, which features a very strong core made up of Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, and Travis Hunter.
The addition of Meyers changed the offense. Washington was a go-to target during the second half of the year and was highly productive. Thomas Jr. has had a very strong spring, particularly as a deep threat, while Hunter appeared to be on the verge of breaking out prior to his injury.
“If the Jags just get the best version of their existing receivers, they’ll be in great shape,” Barnwell wrote.
A question, however, that Barnwell raised is whether or not all four players can return to those forms in-season.
The tight end room is quite strong as well, led by Brenton Strange. He and Nate Boerkircher bring well-rounded skill sets to the position, which adds a level of unpredictability to the offense. This unit is also quite deep with Tanner Koziol, Quintin Morris, and Hunter Long on the roster as well.
But a weakness that Barnwell brings up is the uncertainty around the running back position. Without Travis Etienne, presumably the Jaguars will be taking more of a committee approach, with Chris Rodriguez, Bhayshul Tuten, and LeQuint Allen all factoring in.
“Running back is a clear weakness. Bhayshul Tuten showed little explosiveness as a rookie while averaging 3.7 yards per carry and fumbling twice on 93 touches. With Travis Etienne Jr. leaving, Tuten will be expected to assume a larger role. Chris Rodriguez Jr. is a useful runner, but he offers less as a receiver than any other regularly seen back in the NFL, and the former Commanders back is already battling a foot injury.”
Beyond the skill position players, Trevor Lawrence was an MVP candidate last year, the offensive line unit remains intact, and the continuity of being in Liam Coen’s offense for a second season can be the catalyst behind a Year 2 leap for this unit.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: ESPN ranks Jaguars’ WR, RB, TE units entering 2026 NFL season
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire | USA TODAY Network
