The Jacksonville Jaguars threw a curveball when they sent defensive tackle Maason Smith to the Atlanta Falcons in return for Ruke Orhorhoro. With Orhorhoro in the mix, the Jags no longer have to prioritize the interior defensive line with their first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the 56th overall, and they can instead address other position groups.
Nobody would bat an eye if Jacksonville ends up bolstering the interior offensive line, the pass rush, or the secondary in the pass rush. However, an NFL analyst just dropped a scoop that makes it clear that general manager James Gladstone could take a wild swing in Round 2.
The Jaguars could try to trade up for Jadarian Price in Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft
Tony Pauline of EssentiallySports shared what he's hearing around the league ahead of the NFL Draft and says the Jaguars could trade up in Round 2 to select running back Jadarian Price if he slides, adding that they could use a package of picks to acquire the former Notre Dame Irish. Here's the skinny.
"The Jaguars don't have a first-round pick this year, a result of the trade-up in 2025 to acquire Travis Hunter," Pauline wrote. "They do own picks 81, 88, and 100, all in the third round, to use as ammunition to move a little closer to the front. I'm told that if running back Jadarian Price starts to slip in Round 2, the Jaguars will attempt to package picks and make a move to draft the Notre Dame junior."
Pauline goes on to say that if Jacksonville misses out on Price, it could target running back prospect Emmett Johnson.
You should always expect the unexpected, so nobody would bat an eye if Price slides to the second round despite the fact that he's the second-best running back prospect in this year's class behind Jeremiyah Love, but that's just how steep the gap between them is.
While Love is the consensus RB1 in this draft, he's the only one with a true first-round grade. He could either go to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 or to the Tennessee Titans one pick later. Meanwhile, Price falls to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 32 in Mel Kiper Jr.'s final mock draft.
There is growing chatter in league circles that Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is in play with Arizona at No. 3 overall. Ideally, the Cardinals would like to find a team willing to trade up so they can acquire more picks, and there have already been “exploratory” calls,…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 20, 2026
On the other hand, Love ranks fifth in Fansided's top-50 big board while his Notre Dame counterpart fails to make the cut.
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Why it would be shocking to see the Jaguars trade up for Jadarian Price
Nobody will deny that Jadarian Price could help the Jaguars even though he's not the top running back prospect in 2026. Having said that, their backfield is already stacked. With Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, LeQuint Allen Jr., and DeeJay Dallas in the mix, Jacksonville doesn't have to add reinforcements at running back in Round 2.
Heck, head coach Liam Coen just heaped massive praise on Tuten, pointing out that the Jags have yet to take advantage of his full skill set. Similarly, they didn't sign Rodriguez to a two-year, $10 million deal in free agency only to be the No. 3. Couple that with the fact that Allen has carved a niche as a passing-down specialist, and Jacksonville has a well-rounded backfield..
Granted, the Jaguars could definitely add a running back, but not in Round 2, let alone trade up, when they have bigger needs.
The truth is that Jadarian Price is a fine player, but if the Jaguars are going to trade up in the draft, they're better off doing it for one of the top defensive prospects.
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