Ranking 2nd-Year Jaguars By 2026 Importance

This one could not get more obvious. The Jaguars are expecting big things out of Travis Hunter in his second season, the least of which being the fact that they are once again set to lean on him on both sides of the ball. It is at cornerback where Hunter might be the most valuable in 2026, with last year's No. 2 pick set to step into the No. 1 cornerback role for Jacksonville after he played mostly receiver a year ago.

This is not to say Hunter won't have an offensive role. The Jaguars' brass has made it clear all offseason that Hunter is still going to get snaps at wide receiver, even with his cornerback responsibilities set to increase. He might be fourth in the receiver pecking order, but having value on offense while being a potential lock-down corner is something no other player in the NFL is doing. Hunter can set the ceiling for this team.

RB Bhayshul Tuten

It truly remains to be seen who will lead the Jaguars' backfield -- or if anyone will lead it at all. It feels like it is a true running back by committee in the making with Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen returning, coupled with the addition of Chris Rodriguez Jr. With that said, Tuten still ranks this high even in the context of a timeshare backfield.

Tuten proved to be a valuable piece of the offense last year while only playing 21% of the offensive snaps, and that number should go up this season even with the other names in the backfield commanding touches and snaps on key downs. Tuten is a talented player whose potential has not yet been reached, and we should see him take a step toward that this season.

DB Caleb Ransaw

Liam Coen and the Jaguars' bras have not hid their excitement for the return of safety Caleb Ransaw. The second player picked by the new regime in last year's draft, the former third-rounder was impressing in training camp until a foot injury required season-ending surgery before he ever played his first snap. Ransaw very easily could have been ranked at No. 2 on this list considering the role he might play this season.

Even in the event Ransaw does not start at safety, it does not feel like there is a scenario where he isn't at least the No. 3 safety. The Jaguars played some of the most three-safety looks in the NFL last season, and every move they have made -- even at linebacker with Miller -- suggests that will once again be the case this year.

RB LeQuint Allen

Just pure value-wise, the best rookie from the Jaguars' 2025 class was seventh-rounder LeQuint Allen. There is a strong argument to make that he was the best pass-protecting running back in the entire NFL -- he ranked No. 1 in pass-block grade via Pro Football Focus amongst all running backs with at least 80 blocking snaps. He also returned kicks and forced two fumbles on special teams, with one coming in the playoffs.

Allen was the most unselfish player on the roster too considering his impact came largely without the ball. He had 33 touches in the regular-season, which averages out to fewer than two per game. He was a very productive receiver at Syracuse and could see that role expand this year as he continues as the team's top third-down back.

DE Danny Striggow

Danny Striggow is poised to have an important role for the Jaguars in 2026, which says a lot about his journey considering nobody was talking about him this time last year. A former undrafted free agent, Striggow made the roster out of training camp and made an early impact on special teams before gaining more and more snaps in the defensive line rotation.

The Jaguars' pass-rush seemed to get a shot of energy when Striggow and fellow rookie B.J. Green saw more snaps, and Striggow is now positioned to be the Jaguars' No. 3 defensive end with another strong training camp. Striggow is strong against the run, can play multiple alignments, and has a high floor as a pass-rusher, giving him all of the tools for an expanded role.

OL Wyatt Milum

If Wyatt Milum is able to win a starting guard spot, then he will clearly take a leap on this list. But until we see him do that, it will be hard to present him as more than a solid and versatile depth who is still waiting for his moment. There is a real scenario where he does not become a full-time starter until 2027, but the Jaguars can afford some patience here.

Milum looked solid in limited action last season and will give the Jaguars depth at both guard and tackle if he does not win a job out of camp. That is a valuable piece to have, but it is not quite as important as a starting role.

DB Rayuan Lane

Rayuan Lane might have been one of the best surprises from last year's rookie class. He was one of the team's best special teamers and routinely made impressive plays on coverage teams, playing 77% of the Jaguars' special teams snaps. That was expected, though, because he was drafted as a special teams stud out of Navy.

Lane ended up playing 117 snaps (11%) on defense though, a higher clip than I would think many anticipated when he was drafted. He showed legit flashes in coverage in that limited sample size, too, showing that his value can expand past just special teams.

DE B.J. Green

B.J. Green should have an expanded role from his rookie season, where like Striggow he made an impact on special teams before getting more snaps on defense. Green showed legit pass-rush skills last season, and he has the burst to be a change-of-pace pass-rusher that not many other players on the depth chart have.

With that said, Green will likely be the No. 4 defensive end at best, and he does have to fight for snaps with Striggow, Wesley Williams, and Zach Durfee. He should contribute, but there are a lot of players fighting for snaps here.

LB Jalen McCleod

Jalen McLeod did not end up playing in his rookie season due to a training camp injury, but he was building momentum when he got injured. The Jaguars were high on his pass-rush ability when they drafted him out of Auburn, and there is a legit need for a backup to Dennis Gardeck at the strongside linebacker spot.

With that said, Gardeck does not get that many snaps as the SAM linebacker. A lot of his value comes as a third-down edge rusher. McLeod will have a hard time finding many defensive snaps outside of sub-packages, but he should be an important factor on special teams.

LB Jack Kiser

It really does not seem like there is a big question facing the Jaguars at the linebacker position entering OTAs. Ventrell Miller should be the heavy favorite to start opposite of Foyesade Oluokun, and fourth-round linebacker Jack Kiser will likely then be the backup middle linebacker behind Oluokun.

The Jaguars do have to sort out the linebacker depth chart behind Miller, but all signs point to him becoming the Week 1 starter without much issue. That means Kiser will be a backup and a special teamer for the second season in a row. Kiser played 53% of the Jaguars' special teams snaps last year and should be expected to continue in that row.

OL Jonah Monheim

If the Jaguars did not have multiple veterans (Cole Van Lanen, Patrick Mekari) who can play the center position, Jonah Monheim would be higher on this list. Monheim was more or less the only rookie center who got playing time last season across the entire NFL, and he performed well when injuries pushed him into the starting lineup.

He is a solid backup to Robert Hainsey and also has guard flexibility, but he seems like he is on the end of the pecking order amongst the active linemen. The Jaguars do have some pending free agents along the offensive line, so his value could increase in future seasons.