The Jacksonville Jaguars' draft class has drawn its share of criticism, but one pick is already receiving positive attention.

Following the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jaguars largely received low grades from analysts, particularly towards Jacksonville's first pick, tight end Nate Boerkircher. Yet their third pick, Emmanuel Pregnon, has been highly applauded as one of the biggest steals in the draft.

ESPN's Field Yates recently compiled a list of his top-five favorite picks in each round of the draft, and Pregnon was among his top five for the third round.

"If you're looking to get more physical and tougher, Pregnon is your type of guard. He has heavy hands, broad shoulders and a bulldozer mentality in the running game," he wrote. "Pregnon will have to improve his quickness at handling pass rushers, but he has a good starter kit of tools to work with. He spent six years at the college level, finishing with one season at Oregon."

Pregnon spent most of his college career as a left guard, though he has also lined up on the right. He was one of Pro Football Focus' highest-graded run-blockers at his position, and in pass protection, allowed just one sack and five pressures over 471 pass-blocking snaps. As seen by Yates' description, Pregnon has become known for his physicality and toughness, which is something that is highly valued by Liam Coen.

There had initially been high expectations for Pregnon, who had been expected to be selected in the first round. He was considered one of the better guards available in this year's draft class, and the fact that he slid to pick 88 made him a major draft steal for the Jaguars.

This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Emmanuel Pregnon named top third-round pick by ESPN