The Jaguars' Most Important 2026 Rookie Is Already Clear

Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone looks on from the sideline against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images Travis Register-Imagn Images

The Jaguars' Most Important 2026 Rookie Is Already Clear

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated Jan 25, 2026 4:00 PM ET

Add us as a preferred source on Google

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars haven't spent a single one of their 11 draft picks in 2026 yet, but it doesn't matter. We already know who their most important rookie is.

While there will be a whole new crop of Jaguars set to join the franchise at the end of April, there is one rookie the Jaguars already know: safety Caleb Ransaw.

Ransaw's Year

Ransaw, of course, is not a rookie in the traditional sense. He is the second player ever drafted by the Liam Coen/James Gladstone/Tony Boselli regime, behind only Travis Hunter. He just spent an entire season with the Jaguars, rehabbing a training camp injury behind the scenes and missing every game as a result.

But in most senses, Ransaw had a medical redshirt year. 2026 will be the first time we ever see him in a setting beyond a training camp practice, which means they will be invaluable reps for the Jaguars' third-round pick from a season ago.

Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A favorite of the coaching staff during the draft process last year, Ransaw was impressing during a limited sample size in camp. A foot injury would require surgery and land him on injured reserve, eliminating the chance of us seeing him implemented into the Jaguars' defense.

Things are set to look a lot different defensively for the Jaguars the next time Ransaw takes the field. It remains to be seen whether the Jaguars are able to retain Anthony Campanile for another season since he is a finalist for the Arizona Cardinals job. The state of the safety room has changed, too; gone is Darnell Savage, while Andrew Wingard is a free agent. Antonio Johnson was also a breakout performer at safety in 2025.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The hope for the Jaguars is that Ransaw can hit the ground running in 2026. While he got zero on-field reps during the preseason or regular season, he still had the chance to take something away from a year spent in meetings and the locker room.

“He has to. I mean, those guys have to stay in and it’s really difficult when you're hurt and you know it's going to be a tough go. So, you've got to and he's the type of guy that will handle it the right way," Coen said following Ransaw's injury.

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"He's had injuries in the past. He's been hurt before. He's been able to stay locked in and come back from that. So, I have the confidence in him that he'll be there doing the right things," Coen said.

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

More must-reads: