Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. (RB20) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

How the Combine Changed the Jaguars' Draft Board

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated Mar 1, 2026 12:06 PM ET

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the final day of NFL Scouting Combine work. Then their scouting and medical staff return home to continue to put the final touches on the 2026 NFL Draft class.

While the Jaguars may not have had head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone not make the rounds in Indianapolis this year, the Jaguars had a large contingent covering the bases at Lucas Oil Stadium, and the combine was as important as ever.

With that in mind, how did the combine impact the early stages of the draft process? We take a look below.

DT Focus?

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The Jaguars' need for help at defensive tackle is no secret, but they are not alone. More than half of the NFL is likely asking themselves how they can revamp their front lines this offseason in an effort to mirror the success of the last two Super Bowl winners. With that in mind, the testing this week certainly made the options at the No. 56 pick more interesting.

Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter has been a common projection to the Jaguars at No. 56, but after a less-than-stellar showing at the combine, he might be more of an option in the 80s. Instead, the defensive tackle to watch just might be Oklahoma's Gracen Halton. Halton had a terrific showing and looks like the athletic three-technique the Jaguars need long-term.

TE Stock Rising

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The Jaguars will need to add to their tight end room this offseason if they want to hit their full potential as an offense, and they have certainly seemingly made the position a focus this week at the combine. Brenton Strange is a stud, but the Jaguars know as well as anyone that they can improve behind him.

Several tight ends had stellar performances, but Stanford's Sam Roush had the best combine of any of this year's tight ends considering his blend of size, speed, and explosiveness. He has a unique profile due to a historically small wingspan, but he is an enticing Y-tight end. He makes a lot of sense for Jacksonville.

Deeeeeeep DB Class

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For teams like the Jaguars who need some more bodies at defensive back, this certainly seems long a strong class. The Jaguars likely already had a host of defensive backs high on their draft board, but this week's testing revealed several players are in need of a serious bump in terms of their draft stock in the days and weeks ahead.

Whether it is a member of the blazing fast safety group or cornerbacks like Chris Johnson who have the ability to play inside and out, this year's defensive back class is several layers deep. The week of testing at the combine only confirmed that for the Jaguars' board.

This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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