Jaguars' 2026 Free Agents, Targets and Draft Needs After NFL Playoff Loss

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered the 2025 NFL season with modest expectations. With a new head coach in Liam Coen, the primary goal was to get quarterback Trevor Lawrence back to playing at a Pro Bowl level.

While Lawrence wasn't named to the Pro Bowl, he had his best campaign in years. More importantly, the Jags forged a real identity under Coen and evolved into a legitimate contender.

With a rejuvenated running game, an opportunistic defense, and an us-against-the-world mentality, Jacksonville became a major factor in the playoff race, locking up a postseason berth by Week 16.

Unfortunately, the season ended with a first-round playoff loss to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.

Now that the Jaguars' playoff run is at an end, though, it's back to the drafting table for Coen and new general manager James Gladstone. Free agency is set to officially open on March 11, and the 2026 draft will follow on April 23. Coen and Gladstone will have work to do before then too.

In the coming months, the Jags will need to address contracts, identify roster holes, and begin breaking down what is shaping up to be an intriguing 2026 draft class. Here's a look at what's ahead for Jacksonville's offseason.

Free Agents

AP Photo/John Raoux

Jaguars RB Travis Etienne Jr.

Unrestricted Free Agents

WR Dyami Brown

CB Montaric Brown

RB DeeJay Dallas

RB Travis Etienne Jr.

LB Dennis Gardeck

DL Austin Johnson

LB Devin Lloyd

CB Greg Newsome II

WR Tim Patrick

Edge Emmanuel Ogbah

DL Dawuane Smoot

G Cole Van Lanen

S Andrew Wingard

Restricted/Exclusive-Rights Free Agents

CB Christian Braswell

Gladstone added a couple of notable players ahead of the 2025 trade deadline in wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and cornerback Greg Newsome II. Meyers has already been extended on a three-year, $60 million deal. Re-signing Newsome may be less of a concern.

The 25-year-old jumped in as a starter for Jacksonville but proved to be one of the more inconsistent members of its secondary.

Other players will undoubtedly be higher on the Jags' priority list, notably running back Travis Etienne Jr. and linebacker Devin Lloyd.

Lloyd was simply fantastic when healthy in 2025, regularly registering impact plays and helping to lead a defense that was very turnover-dependent. His 99-yard interception return for a touchdown in Week 5 helped Jacksonville beat the Kansas City Chiefs and establish itself as a significant threat.

Etienne, meanwhile, emerged as a do-it-all playmaker who often served as the centerpiece of the offense. Lawrence had some terrific games during the regular season, but when he struggled, Coen was usually able to counter by leaning on Etienne and the ground game.

Gladstone will have some challenges when it comes to retaining his own and navigating free agency, as the Jaguars have just $5.2 million in projected 2026 cap space. It wouldn't be a total shock to see at least one of Jacksonville's top free agents replaced with a cheaper option in the coming months.

Potential Free-Agent/Trade Targets

AP Photo/Doug Murray

CB Rasul Douglas

The Jaguars may not be major players on this year's free-agent and trade markets. Gladstone's aggressive approach last offseason and at the trade deadline left Jacksonville in a less-than-ideal cap situation.

The good news is that the Jags don't have many glaring needs.

The Jaguars could use help at cornerback, especially if they decide to allow Newsome to walk. While the defense was terrific when it generated takeaways, it was vulnerable to the pass.

Should a veteran corner, like Marlon Humphrey of the Baltimore Ravens, become available, Gladstone should be very interested.

Humphrey is set to carry a $26.3 million cap hit in 2026, has a $4 million roster bonus due on the fifth day of the new league year, and is set to be a free agent in 2027. He'll be a name to watch, though adding him would require a new or revised contract that includes a lower 2026 cap number.

Notable impending free-agent corners like Jamel Dean and Roger McCreary may be out of Jacksonville's price range—barring some newly acquired cap space, of course—but more budget-friendly corners like Dee Alford and Rasul Douglas could make sense.

Offensively, the Jaguars will need a replacement for Etienne, if he departs. Fortunately, the 2026 free-agent class is loaded with names like Rico Dowdle, Javonte Williams, Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker III, Kenneth Gainwell, and Dare Ogunbowale.

Expect the Jags to also have some interest in interior linemen like Ted Karras, Austin Corbett, Kevin Zeitler, and John Simpson. Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum would be a dream target, though he might be out of Jacksonville's realistic price range.

Draft Targets

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Tennessee CB prospect Colton Hood

Expect Gladstone to try backfilling the roster and adding depth primarily through the draft. The cap situation isn't great, and players like Travon Walker, Parker Washington, and Brenton Strange will be eligible for extensions.

The Jaguars will be missing a few picks after trading up for Travis Hunter last April and adding Meyers at the deadline—notably their first-round selection, which went to the Cleveland Browns in the Hunter trade. However, Jacksonville will have a pair of extra third-round picks, as the result of a 2025 draft trade with the Detroit Lions.

In all, Jacksonville is slated to have nine total selections, four coming in Rounds 2 and 3. Don't be surprised if Gladstone packages picks to make another move up the draft board.

If the Jags stay put at the bottom of Round 2, a corner prospect like Tennessee's Colton Hood could be an ideal target.

"As a zone corner, Hood is most comfortable in Cover 2, where he can play closer to the line of scrimmage, carry receivers to different zones, and trigger quickly on underneath throws," Daniel Harms of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote.

The Jaguars plan to have Hunter play both corner and receiver, but having a young, full-time corner like Hood in the fold could help give defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile flexibility.

Expect prospects like Ohio State defensive lineman Kayden McDonald, Boston College offensive lineman Logan Taylor, Alabama safety Bray Hubbard, and Iowa offensive lineman Gennings Dunker to also be on Jacksonville's radar on Day 2.

The list of Day-3 prospects that should interest Jacksonville includes the likes of Cincinnati defensive lineman Dontay Corleone, Oregon corner Jadon Canady, Kansas State interior lineman Sam Hecht, Michigan running back Justice Haynes, BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker, and Missouri offensive tackle Cayden Green.

*Cap, contract and free-agent status information via Spotrac. Draft information via Tankathon