It’s a different kind of draft day looming in spring for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Barring a trade, the Jaguars are on course to enter with no selections before the No. 56 pick in the second round when the NFL Draft begins April 23 in Pittsburgh.
Still, even without a first-rounder, franchise history shows the Jags still have a chance to come away from the draft with future starters.
Over the years, the Jaguars have picked up plenty of selections in the 60s or later who ended up creating highlights at EverBank Stadium, and several other active Jags like third-round defensive back Jarrian Jones, fourth-round running back Bhayshul Tuten and fifth-round safety Antonio Johnson could join this list as well. Here’s a look at 10 of the franchise’s top selections after No. 56.
C Brad Meester
Selection: No. 60 (second round)
Year: 2000
Although he never appeared in a Pro Bowl, Meester nailed down starting jobs (first at left guard, then at center) for 14 seasons in Jacksonville and set a variety of longevity records with the franchise. He ended up with 209 regular season starts and a couple of playoff trips.
QB David Garrard
Selection: 108 (fourth round)
Year: 2002
Originally drafted to back up Pro Bowler Mark Brunell, and then promoted during injury absences of first-rounder Byron Leftwich, the mobile Garrard had a nice stretch of success as starter from late 2006 through 2010 until his abrupt release in September 2011. He qualified for the 2007 playoffs, made the 2009 Pro Bowl and finished with 16,003 yards passing and 89 touchdowns through the air. Pretty good for a fourth-rounder.
G Vince Manuwai
Selection: No. 72 (third round)
Year: 2003
An underrated and powerful Jaguar with a strong claim as the franchise’s best-ever guard before an anterior cruciate ligament tear at the start of the 2008 season. Manuwai gave the Jags eight productive years and 105 starts on an offensive front that twice reached the playoffs. Tragically, Manuwai died at age 38 in 2018, a death authorities in Hawaii attributed to drug intoxication.
RB Maurice Jones-Drew
Selection: No. 60 (second round)
Year: 2006
Three 1,000-yard seasons, three Pro Bowls and an NFL rushing title (1,606 yards in 2011) highlighted the Jaguars career for the hard-running Jones-Drew, who stood 5-7 but hit the line with force and power for eight years in Jacksonville. His 8,071 yards rushing place him behind only Fred Taylor in team history, and he also gained 2,873 yards as a receiver.
WR Allen Robinson
Selection: No. 61 (second round)
Year: 2014
Jaguars drafts of the mid-2010s often didn’t live up to expectations, but Robinson is an exception. By his second year, the 6-2, 210-pound receiver was a Pro Bowler, using his frame to grab 80 passes for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns. A Week 1 ACL injury in 2017, though, marked his last action on the field for the Jags.
LB Telvin Smith
Selection: No. 144 (fifth round)
Year: 2014
Before his football career abruptly ended in 2019, the high-motor, high-speed Smith was a late-round success story for the Jaguars. Big plays usually weren’t far away: The former Florida State Seminole forced five fumbles and recovered six, picked off nine passes and earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2017.
DE Yannick Ngakoue
Selection: No. 69 (third round)
Year: 2016
The ending in Jacksonville turned messy, but Ngakoue for most of his four seasons was the Jags’ most feared pure edge rusher. He recorded a dozen sacks and a league-high six forced fumbles during the 2017 season, when the Jaguars reached the AFC Championship, and finished with 37 1/2 sacks for the club.
TE Brenton Strange
Selection: No. 61 (second round)
Year: 2023
Strange saw only part-time action as a rookie, but his combination of effective blocking and pass-catching has made him a key contributor in the Jaguars’ playoff run. He caught 46 passes for 540 yards and three touchdowns in 2025.
WR Parker Washington
Selection: No. 185 (sixth round)
Year: 2023
The Jaguars’ breakout offensive star of 2025. Already a team record-holder with three punt return touchdowns, he emerged as a top target for Trevor Lawrence late in the season and topped 100 yards receiving in three of his last four games, counting postseason. In 2025, Washington finished with 58 catches for 847 yards and five touchdowns. The future is bright.
K Cam Little
Selection: No. 214 (sixth round)
Year: 2024
While several other productive Jaguars specialists like Josh Scobee and Logan Cooke could be included here — kickers and punters almost always go in the late rounds or as undrafted free agents — there’s no way to exclude an NFL record-holder. Little booted the league’s longest-ever field goal with a 68-yarder and the longest outdoors from 67 yards, in addition to a 70-yarder in preseason.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: These Jaguars NFL draft picks made an impact outside top 55
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
