Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen speaks during a press conference as general manager James Gladstone looks on at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Linebacker Question Will Loom Over Jaguars Draft Process

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Mar 20, 2026 7:00 AM ET

A lot has changed this offseason for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Not as much as last offseason, but more on the field with their roster. This offseason, the Jaguars have already lost key players from last year's team that won the AFC South and made the playoffs.

That is how the NFL works. Each season presents something different. The same goes for the offseason, because in this league, you never know what is going to go down. This does not mean the Jaguars will not be successful next season.

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This will be a tough task for general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen in just their second season with the Jaguars.

That is what they like about their respective jobs, and they are some of the best at finding talent and making sure they get the best player that fits their style of play. That is why the Jaguars were high on both of them last offseason and why they ended up bringing them in, and look what they did already in just one season with this franchise.

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That is why they gave them the freedom to do what they wanted with the roster once again this offseason. Those key players that they lost this offseason were tough to see, but they are going to trust the process and find the new players in the 2026 NFL Draft. The one position that the Jaguars are going to have to address in next month's draft is the linebacker position. The Jaguars lost their All-Pro linebacker Devin Lloyd in free agency, and that was the biggest loss.

Remember that the Jaguars do not own a first-round pick in this year's draft, but that does not mean they cannot find a good linebacker prospect in the other rounds. That is where Gladstone comes into play. He knows what players to look for and which players will fall in the draft because other teams overlook them. Gladstone did that a lot during his time with the Los Angeles Rams, and he wants to continue that in the draft, this time with Jacksonville.

Linebacker the Jaguars could look to draft

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One linebacker that the Jaguars will be looking at is CJ Allen out of the University of Georgia. The best part of his game is the ability to play the run well. He is a good tackle linebacker and knows how to read the run well. He could turn into a good linebacker once he gets to the NFL. His football IQ is there and will be better with more experience.