The Jacksonville Jaguars would make four selections on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL draft, landing TE Nate Boerkircher, DT Albert Regis, OL Emmanuel Pregnon, and DB Jalen Huskey.
So what led the Jaguars to choose these players over the other prospects that were available? After Day 2 ended, Liam Coen and James Gladstone spoke with the media and provided some insights.
Why the Jaguars selected TE Nate Boerkircher
What Coen had to say: “The type of player, type of person that we’re trying to hunt up here,” Coen said. “Attitude, toughness. Mentally and physically tough. I think has a lot more in his body than was probably displayed throughout the season when they were throwing the ball a lot to those wideouts. Every opportunity he had throughout the offseason process to go put it on tape that he could and that there was that in his body and that he did have those capabilities, it showed up in a major way.”
Boerkircher’s fit with Jaguars: Jacksonville really wanted Boerkircher, so much so that Coen said he had a dream about drafting him. He filled a blocking-first role in college, and can do the same with the Jaguars, competing with Quintin Morris for snaps and also giving Coen the flexibility to use more three-tight-end sets. However, the Jaguars also believe Boerkircher possesses upside as a pass catcher.
Why the Jaguars selected DT Albert Regis
What Coen had to say: “The football intelligence, the football IQ, the feel, how to play single blocks, how to play double teams, how to how he runs to the football. I mean, this guy chases things down, screens. We talk about heat for players for us and the amount of buy-in in the building for these players, specifically Albert. a ton of buy-in, and you hit it on the head — the type of football intelligence, IQ matched with somebody that’s going to play his tail off and compete. That’s exactly what we were hunting up.”
Regis’ fit with the Jaguars: Regis was a run-first defender and will boost the Jaguars’ rotational depth behind DaVon Hamilton. He was also quite effective at getting his hands up and batting down passes.
Why the Jaguars selected OL Emmanuel Pregnon
What Coen had to say: “A first-team all-American. Type of player that adds mass inside. That’s something that we’ve been continuously evaluating is getting bigger, faster, stronger, and tougher. And that’s something that he does for us. I’m very good friends with Will Stein, who was his offensive coordinator. We talked a lot throughout the last week. Very close with Dan Lanning as well. And so, you look at his physical attributes, the stuff we can’t coach. And then a guy that wasn’t a mental error guy, wasn’t somebody that couldn’t handle all of what Oregon was able to do in their system and checking and killing plays, audibles, alerts, all those kind of things that you’re hunting up.”
Pregnon’s fit with the Jaguars: As Coen mentions, Pregnon adds size to the Jaguars’ interior offensive line, measuring in at 6-04 and weighing 314 pounds. It’s not a secret that Coen wants to be a more effective rushing offense this season, which could lead to more competition along the offensive line this summer.
Why the Jaguars selected DB Jalen Huskey
What Gladstone had to say: “We talked a little bit about the bigger personnel groupings becoming a trend. Well, to combat that, you’re getting hybrid safety corners and bigger bodies at the position that can help match that a little bit more effectively. And you know, something that we prioritize not only on the defensive back end, but across the entire roster is versatility, and so he certainly offers that, but at the same time, his play style is one that is extremely aggressive and tough and physical. And so that really captured our attention and our hearts.”
Huskey’s fit with the Jaguars: Like Gladstone said, Huskey adds another versatile presence to the secondary, giving Anthony Campanile flexibility as he puts game plans together. In addition to that, Huskey could play a key role on special teams early on, specifically on the punt coverage team as a personal protector, with Andrew Wingard no longer on the team. Defensively, Huskey may be more likely to provide depth early on.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Why Jaguars had to have Boerkircher, Regis, Pregnon, Huskey