As many expected, it took until the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft for a Duke player to come off the board.
The consensus, however, is that the player would be CB Chandler Rivers, save for a stunning miss in a late ESPN 7-round mock.
Instead, it was EDGE rusher Wesley Williams, who came off the board with the 19th pick of the 4th Round, 119th overall:
We have selected Duke DE Wesley Williams with the No. 119 overall pick!@Dream_Finders | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/hPMb2T8gtK
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) April 25, 2026
The Jaguars select Duke's Wesley Williams in the 4th Round
Williams, a 6-foot-3, 265-pound defensive end, elected to enter the NFL Draft a year early after a bit of a disappointing junior season in Durham.
Williams had a breakout sophomore season for the Blue Devils in Manny Diaz's first season as the head coach, racking up eight sacks and 13.5 tackles-for-loss.
This past year, his numbers dropped to just two sacks and nine tackles-for-loss.
He came into the season as a hot name in NFL Draft circles, one with the potential and tools to develop into a late first-round or second-round pick. The disappointing year dropped into the day three range, but he still ends up in a good situation.
The Jaguars had an obvious need to beef up along the defensive line, and Williams will enter a situation that gives him a real opportunity to make the team and see some legitimate playing time as a rookie.
Jacksonville is a franchise seemingly on the upswing. Under first-year head coach Liam Coen, Jacksonville went 13-4 and captured the AFC South crown before falling to the Buffalo Bills in the Wildcard Round of the AFC Playoffs.
Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile raved about Williams' versatility in an interview following the selection:
"Love his play style. He's a super physical kid," Campanile said. "He's got a lot of position versatility, so that's what we love about Wesley."
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