What draft experts said about new Jaguars DB Jalen Huskey
· Yahoo Sports
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected defensive back Jalen Huskey as their final pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
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During his college career, he was known for his versatility, having lined up at free safety and in the box in the defensive backfield. In his final season, he allowed a completion rate when targeted of 65%, though he held pass-catchers to just 7.4 yards per reception. He also had 11 interceptions over three seasons with six pass breakups.
For now, Huskey will likely provide depth to the Jaguars' defense, and he could be an immediate special teams contributor. Here is what draft analysts had to say about Huskey in their pre-draft scouting reports.
NFL.com
"Three-year starting split-field safety with adequate size but deficient speed. Huskey piled up interceptions, showing his ball skills and instincts. However, he’s slow to accelerate from transitions and lacks quality make-up speed, so receivers can get open and stay open when he’s forced to match them. He’s not a thumper but does his job near the line of scrimmage as a run defender. Huskey’s ball production and willingness in run support will be counter-balanced by his lack of speed/short-area quickness in coverage. A back-end roster spot could be his ceiling." - Lance Zierlein
Pro Football Network
"Jalen Huskey is a gifted playmaker whose turnover production is at the crux of his NFL Draft evaluation. At around 6'1", 196 pounds, with sub-31" arms, Huskey has a uniquely tall but short-armed build, and brings decent overarching mobility to the fold. He's not an elite athlete, but he has good baseline burst, fluidity, and quickness, and he's a stellar processor with great reaction speed, route recognition, and spatial reasoning skills from two-high and single-high. Huskey's profile in run support is less appealing; he doesn't play with consistent urgency or dictating physicality when scaling downhill and engaging blocks, and his 12.2% missed tackle rate in 2025 hints at struggles wrapping up and finishing takedowns. - PFN
Pro Football Focus
"Jalen Huskey was a safety for the Jacksonville Jaguars who earned a 83.6 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 41st among 914 qualified safeties. His PFF coverage grade of 83.5 ranked 62nd among 914 qualified safeties. His run-defense grade of 82.5 ranked 73rd at the position. He recorded 4 interceptions on the season. Huskey broke up 1 passes in coverage. He allowed a 55.9 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks. He surrendered 11 receptions in coverage. He also contributed 67 solo tackles in run support and open-field situations." - PFF
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Scouting reports for Jaguars' DB Jalen Huskey