With the NFL presason winding down, several teams are already staring down major roster concerns. Two of the most pressing belong to the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars, both of whom enter the year with glaring holes along the offensive line.
This week’s NFL Draft Notebook highlights those needs while also profiling the top center in the 2026 draft, a running back primed for a bounce-back season, and other key storylines.
Latest NFL Draft news and notes
Bengals draft target
The Cincinnati Bengals biggest offensive weakness heading into the season is at right guard, a spot they’ll likely need to upgrade next offseason. One potential solution is Texas A&M’s Ar’maj Reed-Adams, my top-rated offensive guard in the 2026 NFL Draft. At 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds, Reed-Adams is a powerful road grader who consistently overwhelms defenders in the run game. Last year he ranked as PFF’s No. 2 guard in the Power Four conferences and the sixth-best run blocker in all of FBS. If he slips to Day 2, the Bengals could land a steal.
Number one center for a reason
Iowa’s Logan Jones continues to show why he’s regarded as the top center in the 2026 NFL Draft. His latest accolade is a No. 7 ranking on Bruce Feldman’s Freak Athlete list. Feldman highlighted Jones’ elite weight room numbers, including a school-record 705-pound squat for a program known for producing weight-room monsters. He also boasts a 36.5-inch vertical jump and a 470-pound hang clean. That rare combination of strength, explosiveness, and smart, physical play on the field makes him a strong candidate for a Day 2 selection.
Jaguars must address offensive line
ESPN’s recent position rankings list the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offensive line as the league’s worst, largely due to underwhelming play from tackles Walker Little and Anton Harrison. Without a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which they traded to acquire Travis Hunter, the Jaguars will need to target this area on Day 2. Northwestern’s Caleb Tiernan could be an ideal fit. A strong pass protector, Tiernan didn’t allow a quarterback hit in eight consecutive games last season. He’s also versatile, having started at both left and right tackle for the Wildcats, and enters the year with 30 career starts under his belt.
Bounce back year
Texas running back CJ Baxter is looking to rebound in a big way this season. After missing all of last year with a knee injury, Baxter is aiming to recapture the form he showed in 2023, when he earned second-team Freshman All-American honors by rushing for 659 yards and catching 24 passes. That production, paired with a standout high school career that made him the top-rated running back in his class according to 247Sports, has expectations high. At 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds, Baxter combines quickness with a powerful lower body, earning him a fourth-round grade on my board entering the year.
Banks misses more time
Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks has missed a couple of practices in fall camp due to a lower leg injury. This follows his absence from all of spring football after foot surgery. While neither injury is considered serious, the repeated setbacks could be a concern if he misses time during the season. When healthy, Banks shows explosive burst off the ball and a relentless motor, which is why he enters the season ranked as the fourth-best defensive tackle in the 2026 NFL Draft on my board.
Big loss for the Tide
Alabama will be without running back Jam Miller for the first few games after suffering a collarbone injury in practice. It’s a significant loss, as Miller was the team’s leading rusher last year and enters the season with a seventh-round draft grade. The physical runner shows impressive contact balance and is expected to return before Alabama faces Georgia on September 27.