JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
John from Section 206 as long as it's there
I have been out of the country for three weeks and I have had to catch up on the Jaguars' 2026 NFL Draft by reading what the "experts" thought. What is most readily apparent is that for them, the draft is the product, but for the teams the game is. The experts will move on to 2027 just as soon as the stories get cold. I have been a season-ticket holder since Day 1; I really enjoyed last year, and look forward to enjoying this year as well, as at the very least it seems the Jags' management has a very clear vision for who they want to be.
This may be a good place to close this post-draft conversation, though I kinda sorta doubt this will have that effect. And your extended absence from our nation has brought with it proper perspective on the heated – and sometimes laughable – drama around the Jaguars' '26 draft. Draft experts' "analysis" indeed is about their rankings in the televised event that is the NFL Draft and the leadup/aftermath to the event. This "analysis" doesn't always seem to prioritize games on the field – and for teams, the game on the field must take priority. This is not to say that teams always adhere to that priority. This oddly – but absolutely – is not always the case. But for this Jaguars administration, it's absolutely always the case. The Jaguars right now indeed have a vision and an identity. That has been clear since January 2025. They drafted to that identity in 2025 and 2026 – and they have spent the past year and three months building to that identity. That approach produced a 13-4 AFC South Championship season in 2025. We will see what it produces moving forward, but so far so good.
Tony from Belleville
What camp battles should the fans be paying attention to – and who do you think will win?
Jaguars 2026 Training Camp should be legitimately interesting on this front, unusually so. I say "unusually" because real position battles are comparatively rare in the NFL. Though these battles won't begin in an overly meaningful way until '26 camp begins in late July at the Miller Electric Center, there absolutely should be an unusual amount of real competition. Look for second-year veteran guard Wyatt Milum competing with veteran Patrick Mekari at right guard. And maybe second-year veteran Jonah Monheim competing with veteran Robert Hainsey at center. And second-year veteran Caleb Ransaw competing with veteran Eric Murray at safety. And second-year veteran Bhayshul Tuten competing with veteran Chris Rodriguez Jr. at running back. I don't know who I think will win these battles, though I suppose I will be at least a little surprised if Milum and Hainsey don't start on the offensive line. All will be decided on the field, which makes this a very intriguing camp for the Jaguars' 2025 draft class.
Tony from Johns Creek, GA
O, one of the local sports talk radio shows recently interviewed former Atlanta Falcons quarterback and current President of Football Operations Matt Ryan. He said the best teams he played for had depth. And to be a consistent winner, you needed to have depth. Going by the Jags' draft, they see the vision, where us fans can't.
OK.
Mason from Palm Bay, FL
Admittedly, I did not follow the Jags very closely until 2001. In a recent column, you said the Buffalo Bills traded the No. 9 overall pick for Rob Johnson?! Was that considered crazy at the time, or was it a "hindsight is 20/20" situation? His stats were not very great prior to the trade, but it is hard to compare eras without context.
This trade happened early in the 1998 offseason. It was at the time considered a team trading for what that team considered a starting quarterback. It was a bit of a risk for the Bills because Johnson only started one game in three Jaguars seasons – a 1997 regular-season opening victory over the Baltimore Ravens. But Johnson had NFL skills and it wasn't considered as overly "crazy." Starting quarterbacks always have been pricey – even in 1998. And even when you're speculating.
Shawn from Moore County, NC
Have we signed any of our drafted players yet?
Keep refreshing.
Al from Orange Park, FL
Every day, I excitedly open the Jags website expecting signing/contract news for wide receiver Parker Washington, tight end Brenton Strange or the rookies. So far, always disappointed. Soon? If not for the team's sake, what about for my personal enjoyment and satisfaction?
Keep refreshing. And don't stress over this. Washington and Strange are under contract for another season, and rookie deals are pretty much routine these days.
Michael from Orange Park, FL
What about 13?
My Scooby Sense – and not my Scobee or Spidey Sense – tells me you're wondering the identity of the best player in Jaguars history to wear No. 13. Possibilities include wide receiver Rashad Greene (2015-2018), wide receiver Christian Kirk (2022-2024) and wide receiver Tim Jones (2025-2026). This one is easier than most, with Kirk a pretty clear choice.
Jordan from Lincoln, NE
I can tell you what a 15 Personnel group is, a five-yard penalty.
Not if the five are lined up correctly.
Travis from High Springs
Do you believe the running back carries will be split fairly evenly between Tuten, Rodriguez and Allen? Or do you think each back will have a specific role, such as passing downs, goal line/short yardage, between the 20s?
I expect the top three running backs on the Jaguars' roster – Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and LaQuint Allen Jr. – to all have significant roles next season. I expect Allen to play a lot of third down and passing situations because he's a really good pass blocker, but I expect he will have more carries than he did as a rookie last season. I expect Rodriguez to get a lot of touches on first downs because I expect he can be very consistent in that role and the Jaguars like what he can bring in terms of turning two- and three-yard runs into four- and five-yard runs. I expect Tuten to get a lot of touches in a lot of different situations because his speed and power make him dangerous.
Ryan from Detroit, MI
Follow-up: You're saying that our first-round pick BTJ is now behind Washington and Jakobi Meyers in the pecking order? Why has this team for its entire history never been able to develop a first-round wide receiver?
I'm saying there may not be a "pecking order" among the Jaguars' wide receivers entering '26 camp. This team was at its best offensively late in the 2025 season when Brian Thomas Jr., Washington and Meyers were playing as complementary pieces in the offense – to a striking degree. While we live in a world where there Must Be a WR1 and All Who Aren't WR1 Suck, these capital letters are outside perception and not reality. The Jaguars are good at wide receiver. They're dangerous there. They're balanced. The position is neither a disappointment or a case of lack of development.
Jonathan from Fairfield, PA
Do you know of a better UDFA than Arian Foster? I still do not understand how he fell so far.
Foster, most notably a running back for the Houston Texans from 2009-2015, slipped out of the draft because his production slipped in his final season at the University of Tennessee. He also didn't have a great Pro Day leading to the draft. Better undrafted free agents in the modern – free agency/salary cap – era than Foster might be wide receiver Wes Welker, running back Priest Holmes, linebacker James Harrison, Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates, quarterback Tony Romo and Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.
Nicholas from Fort Hood, TX
KOAF: I know I am a little late on this, but for No. 10 Josh Scobee is the guy, not because he was a great kicker, but because he gave us a great video of a great man jogging on the side of the road. Do you know what happened to that video?
I would rather not say.
Bradley from Death Valley, CA
I'm guessing Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone could not care less about national media opinions. He seems like a facts man. A13-5 record is a big fact. I remember the media loved the Jags' 2020 draft, which was cornerback C.J. Henderson drafted in top 10, edge K'Lavon Chaisson in the top 20 and wide receiver Laviska Shenault early in the second round. With a few exceptions, the national media is a joke.
My sense is Gladstone absolutely does not care about national media opinions – and one certainly would hope that's the case. You can't do a good job acquiring players if you're worried about what "national media" is saying about the acquisitions.
Richard from Jacksonville
Fans fan. It's what they do ...
Always.
