What draft experts said about new Jaguars DE Wesley Williams

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Duke DE Wesley Williams in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, having traded up to do so. The Jaguars sent picks 124 and 166 to the Carolina Panthers, and received picks 119 and 196 in exchange.

Jacksonville needed more depth at edge rusher, and at minimum, Williams will provide it. But the Jaguars are in need of help with pass rush production, and Williams was a productive pass rusher in college.

In his last two seasons, he had 43 pressures in 2024 and 46 in 2025, and 13 total sacks; additionally, he was one of PFF's highest graded run defenders at the defensive end position.

GM James Gladstone noted Williams' ability to affect both the run and passing games, not to mention that "he's got the makeup that aligns with everything that we covet."

Here is what draft analysts had to say about Williams in their pre-draft scouting reports.

NFL.com

"Williams plays every snap with a white-hot motor and intensity that opponents found hard to match in 2025. He’s a natural knee bender, using his leverage to blow up blocks and dart into gaps to disrupt play development in the run game. However, he's hindered by a lack of length and explosiveness that will make it much tougher for him to create pressure as a pro. His sack production was bolstered by secondary rush effort, so it would make sense to slide him inside on passing downs. Rushing from the interior would allow him to use his cross-chop and edge-to-edge movements against guards instead of tackles. Overall, Williams projects as a rotational base end." - Lance Zierlein