March 26, 2026, 2:37 p.m. ET
If the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to adequately address arguably their biggest need in the 2026 NFL draft, then GM James Gladstone may have to strike early.
With 11 picks in total, including four in the top 100, along with what is a well-put-together roster overall, the Jaguars do enter this year’s draft with some flexibility, which allows the draft board to dictate who they select.
However, a potential wrench in that plan may be the depth and overall talent of the defensive tackle class.
Defensive tackle is very much a need for the Jaguars. For one, more depth is a must with only five defensive tackles under contract, but in addition to that, more pass-rush juice is needed from this unit. The defensive tackle position for the Jaguars struggled to generate a consistent pass rush down the stretch last season.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com recently ranked the strength of each position group in the 2026 NFL draft. Out of the 11 units, defensive tackle came in at tied for eighth.
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“With Caleb Banks apparently nursing a broken foot, we now have three defensive tackles who could be borderline first-rounders in the Florida product, Kayden McDonald and Peter Woods.” wrote Zierlein. “Beyond that talented trio, the position offers a series of future starters/rotational contributors on Day 2. Zxavian Harris isn’t for everyone, but the 6-foot-8, 330-pounder has impressive flashes on tape. Your team might need to draft a DT inside the first 120 picks in order to ensure quality.”
The good news for the Jaguars is that they have four picks within the top 120, but if there is a shortage of talent as Zierlein predicts, then other teams may feel that urgency to address this position as well, which could dry up the well, so to speak, rather quickly.
Gladstone has to be prepared to select a defensive tackle — and move around if needed — early in this year’s draft.