Jaguars 2026 season preview: An honest-to-god Super Bowl contender

The Jaguars have real, honest-to-god Super Bowl aspirations

NFL season preview: The Jaguars are a Super Bowl contender (I swear)

The Jacksonville Jaguars caught fire to finish 2025. All it cost them was a pair of Day 3 draft picks.

The Jaguars shipped fourth and sixth-round selections to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for Jakobi Meyers before the in-season trade deadline. The veteran's precise route running and strong hands were exactly what head coach Liam Coen needed to space out his offense and turn Jacksonville into a juggernaut. From Week 11 onward, the Jags averaged nearly 34 points per game. They finished the year on an eight-game winning streak before being narrowly beaten by the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round.

That leaves big expectations

for 2026 -- a year when the AFC North could be the toughest it has ever been. Jacksonville brings back most of the key members of that 2025 roster, including a healthy-again Travis Hunter. What will the Jaguars season look like?

Key addition: G Emmanuel Pregnon

Jacksonville was quiet in free agency. With its first round pick owned by the Cleveland Browns thanks to last year's Travis Hunter trade, the team's first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft was a blocking tight end. This is a team that ascended in 2025 and opted to largely run it back.

Pregnon has looked like the guy who earned first round hype at Oregon before finishing with a solid-but-not-incredible 2025. His ability to clear space for an iffy run game will be paramount to keeping the pages of head coach Liam Coen's playbook intact.

Key departure: S Andrew Wingard

Losing Travis Etienne isn't ideal, but the Jaguars thrived despite a slightly below average run game last season (and Bhayshul Tuten is fun. Good? Maybe! Fun? Absolutely). Instead, let's look at a secondary that could be a heavyweight at corner (a full-time Travis Hunter and a better-than-you-think Montaric Brown) but has questions to answer at safety.

Wingard wasn't remarkable, but he was a reliable veteran presence who emerged as a starter over seven seasons as a pro and was a useful presence against the pass (a-4.9 percent catch rate over expected as the closest defender last fall). Eric Murray is 32 years old and facing an age cliff. Antonio Johnson was awesome in 2025, but had struggled a season before.

If Johnson's five-interception breakthrough is sustainable, Wingard will be reduced to a guy remembered across Duval County. If he backslides, the Jags could be liable to allow a handful of devastating big plays this winter. A big debut from rookie third rounder Jalen Huskey or a rise from 2025 third rounder Caleb Ransaw would help restock the depth in center field as well.

Potential 2026 breakout player: TE Brenton Strange

Strange was one of the many beneficiaries of the space Jakobi Meyers' arrival created in the passing game. He thrived as opponents left linebackers flailing to cover him, averaging just under four yards of separation per target. His 0.52 expected points added (EPA) per target were third only to George Kittle and Colston Loveland among tight ends with at least 50 passes thrown their way. 2026 could be the year he emerges as more of a downfield threat, but even if he simply remains a rumbling safety valve he'll help Jacksonville's 2025 momentum carry over to 2026.

Position ranks

• QB rank (expected points added per dropback, via RBSDM.com): 16
• WR corps rank: 10
• RB corps rank: 32
• TE corps rank: 12

Will they improve in 2026?

I believe they can. This offense hummed after adding Jakobi Meyers. The secondary will get a major boost from a full season of Travis Hunter. The Jags won't catch anyone by surprise this year, but still should make a postseason return.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Jaguars 2026 season preview: An honest-to-god Super Bowl contender