The 2026 NFL draft is coming up at the end of April in Pittsburgh. The Jacksonville Jaguars have three third-round picks, at Nos. 81, 88, and 100. As it is mock-draft season, many news outlets will put their stamp on who the Jaguars might select in each round of the draft.

Using comparisons from Pro Football Network's mock draft simulator, we will take a look to see how the third-round mock of ESPN, Pro Football Focus, and The Athletic shake out for the Jaguars.

Here's a look at the simulator's comparison of mock drafts for the Jaguars' second-round pick at No. 56.

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Considered to be the No. 6 interior defensive lineman in the draft, Orange was a third-team All-Big 12 selection. He was a massive presence for the Cyclones at the line of scrimmage and was often double-teamed. For his play last season, Orange earned an overall grade of 68.3 from PFF.

Strengths: Elite size and mobility, and is excellent against the run.

Weaknesses: Needs to develop more pass-rushing moves to increase his sacks and tackles for loss, instead of relying just on a bull rush to shed an opposing blocker, and earned a 68.3 overall grade for PFF. He holds an invitation to attend the NFL Scouting Combine.

A first-team All-ACC selection, Joly is regarded as one of the top tight ends coming out of the collegiate ranks. Joly led the Wolfpack in receiving touchdowns with seven, on 49 catches for 489 yards. He posted a season-high 101 yards on six catches and two touchdowns against Pitt. According to PFF, Joly graded out at 77.7 overall and 81.4 receiving grade

Strengths:  Elite Receiving Skills with soft hands and is good at tracking the ball, and excels in making contested catches. Runs with high physicality and has the ability to break arm tackles and gain more yards after the catch. He demonstrates strong lower-body strength and often stays engaged with opposing defenders until the play is blown dead.

Weaknesses: Lacks elite speed, which can limit his ability to create separation against faster NFL-level defenders or create explosive plays. At 6-foot-3, he lacks the prototypical size of a massive "Y" tight end, which can affect his ability to dominate as a blocker.

A third-team All-SEC selection in 2025, Barber allowed just two sacks and 17 quarterback pressures in 750 offensive snaps. He earned an 83.5 overall grade from PFF, a 66.7 pass blocking grade, and a 90.0 run blocking grade, which was No. 2 among all offensive tackles.

Strengths: An experienced three-year starter, Barber has the versatility to play both tackle spots. He possesses strong hands to control opposing defenders and displays good lateral agility. Barber has a high football IQ and understands the position, and can identify defensive alignments.

Weaknesses: Struggles to maintain leverage, which creates a high center of gravity and, at times, he gets driven backward and loses his balance.

Barber is primarily a blocker who seals off defenders rather than dominating at the point of attack, and has average strength.

In the mock draft simulator, ESPN projected a trade between the Jaguars and the Arizona Cardinals. In this scenario, Jacksonville traded up to the third pick in the second round, selecting Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter. In exchange, Arizona received the Jaguars' second round pick at No. 56 and their No. 81 selection in the third round.

Hunter was a first-team All-Big 12 selection, who posted 41 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. At 330 pounds, Hunter produced a whopping 26 quarterback pressures last season. His grade of 84.5 at stopping the run ranks him eighth among all defensive tackles.

Delp only caught 20 passes for 261 yards and a touchdown. In three games last season, Delp was not targeted, nor did he make catch. According to PFF, Delp had fluctuating grades throughout the season, from 79.3 vs Marshall, then dropping to a 55.1 grade when it counted the most in the SEC Championship Game.

Strengths: Includes his route running, blocking, and flexibility. Delp is versatile enough to play on the line, as a slot receiver, or as an H-Back.

Weaknesses: He lacks the elite strength to dominate elite defenders. Because of his lack of production last season (20 catches, 261 yards, 1 TD), Delp will need further development to be a more reliable NFL tight end. Delp is versatile enough to play on the line, as a slot receiver, or as an H-Back.

Claiborne led the Demon Deacons with 907 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns last season, earning second-team All-ACC honors. He ends his career at Wake Forest as the No. 4 rusher in school history with over 2,500 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Strengths:  Claiborne has elusiveness and can making defenders miss in space, and possesses versatility as a receiver, as he caught 28 passes out of the backfield. Weaknesses: Inconsistent at spotting holes between the tackles. He does not have elite-level speed, is not a big back, and his pass protection skills are lacking.

Branch led the Bulldogs with 81 catches for 811 yards and six touchdowns. He also added 385 return yards as a kickoff and punt return specialist on his way to being named second-team All-SEC.

Strengths: Branch has elite speed and acceleration to create separation in space and in the vertical passing game. He features exceptional change-of-direction to make defenders miss in space and gain yards after the catch. Also, Branch is versatile as a return specialist Elite punt/kick returner with high-impact potential in gadget roles (screen passes and jet sweeps). Branch is a natural pass-catcher with low drop rates, and is adept at securing passes on the run.

Weaknesses: Branch’s undersized frame raises concerns about his durability over a 17-game NFL season, and also his ability to handle the physicality. In addition, Branch needs to improve his blocking to be successful at the pro level.

Lee’s career over the last three seasons, first at Kansas State, then at Texas A&M, resulted in 134 tackles, 24 passes defended and four interceptions. Last season, the completion rate against him was 54.1. According to PFF, Lee earned an overall grade of 66.5.

Strengths: Fluid body movement and is effective in run support.

Weaknesses: Needs improvement in zone coverage, and was flagged six times last season.

McGowan led the Wildcats in rushing with 725 yards and 12 touchdowns. He posted four games with multiple rushing touchdowns and scored three touchdowns in a game twice. McGowan’s PFF grade was 70 overall and 77.2 rushing grade.

Strengths: McGowan’s running style is "north-south," and he excels at hitting cut-backs and running through holes between the tackles. He is aggressive in pass blocking and is agile enough to make shifty moves to create space.

Weaknesses: Despite a physical style, he sometimes struggles with balance, resulting in a lower yards-after-contact-per-rush (3.22) compared to elite prospects. He lacks elite speed to break away for explosive plays.

The Athletic, per the draft simulator, projected another trade, this time between the Jaguars and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Jags traded up again, getting the Bucs' No. 77 pick and selecting DT Domonique Orange (see above). Tampa Bay received the Jaguars' No. 81 pick as compensation.

A second-team All-Big Ten selection, Boettcher led the Ducks with 136 tackles, and also posted one interception, six passes defended and two forced fumbles, and seven games with double-digit tackles. Boettcher was named first-team All-American and was awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor.

The Big Ten Medal of Honor is given to a male and female student athlete from the graduating class from each of the conference's schools that demonstrate excellence on and off the field. It is the first award that showed support for the educational emphasis on athletics.

Strengths: Displays excellent coverage skills, particularly effective when matching up against running backs. Elite tackling skills with high-level, consistent technique, and Boettcher rarely allowed extra yards after contact.

Weaknesses: Does not have elite size for the position (225 pounds) to hold up against elite NFL offensive talent. Boettcher lacks speed for coverage in the vertical passing game against faster NFL tight ends and receivers.

McClellan finished the 2025 season with 48 tackles, eight tackles for loss, six sacks, and two pass breakups. According to PFF, McClellan earned an over all grade of 76.8 (72.8 against the run, 73.2 against the pass).

Strengths: Good Size (6-foot-3, 315 pounds) and is a disruptive force, with 20 quarterback pressures.

Weaknesses: Issues with leverage and technique at the point of attack.

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The NFL draft is loaded with surprises, with trades taking place before and during the selection process. These mock drafts are good talking points, but NFL teams' "biig boards" will look completely different on draft day.

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