In case you haven't heard, the biggest game in Jacksonville Jaguars history is happening this Sunday at Everbank Stadium. Duval's beloved franchise squares off against the Buffalo Bills, a team with major flaws the Jags can exploit on their way to a win.
When you conquer your division, win the most games in a single season since 1999, and do it all with a rookie head coach leading the way, there's gotta be a major reason (or five) for your success. Buffalo can prepare for Jakobi Meyers' fearlessness over the middle and Liam Coen's offensive schemes, but there's one secret weapon Bills Mafia won't be able to account for directly.
Throughout 2025, James Gladstone made aggressive moves that flushed underperformers out of the building and brought new talent in. Before we knew it, the former Los Angeles Ram was able to fill the holes that prevented Trent Baalke from deploying the best team in Jaguars history.
And as we reminisce over the third AFC South Champions in franchise history, let's take a gander at three of the biggest moves James Gladstone made during Year 1 of his tenure.
The Jaguars trades that shocked the world and revamped the locker room
If we're being honest, every trade Gladstone made was a huge move. Even though the deal for Khalen Saunders didn't pan out, it removed Luke Fortner, a former third-round pick from an SEC school, and gave free agents like Robert Hainsey a chance to establish themselves without worrying about internal politics.
The massive, headline-generating trade in the 2025 NFL draft announced that Gladstone and the Jaguars weren't afraid to be bold. To move up from the fifth-overall pick to the second-overall selection, Jacksonville gave up its second- and fourth-round choices in 2025 and a coveted first-rounder in 2026. Again, this move didn't pay off immediately, but it proved that the new front office was aggressive, flexible, and obsessed with acquiring talent.
A move that did pan out as soon as it happened was the deadline-beating swap with the Las Vegas Raiders for Jakobi Meyers. Meyers addressed the Jaguars' frustrating case of the drops and unlocked new elements of Liam Coen's offense. Trevor Lawrence became a legitimate MVP candidate at the end of the year because of the NC State alum's reliability over the middle, and he may be the piece needed to help the Jags overcome the Buffalo Bills during Wild Card weekend.
Signing Jourdan Lewis from the Dallas Cowboys to lead the Jaguars backfield
You can tell Jourdan Lewis used to be a Dallas Cowboy. His swagger, infectious leadership, and ability to produce big plays gave Jacksonville the jolt it needed to execute Anthony Campanile's new scheme.
Throughout the first month of the season, Lewis snagged multiple interceptions, flipped the momentum various times during Duval's win over the Houston Texans, and found himself ranked among the league's best cornerbacks. The ninth-year pro finished his first season away from Dallas with 39 tackles, 10 passes defensed, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery.
Unfortunately, Lewis' impressive first year in Jacksonville was effectively cut short by injury. Luckily, James Gladstone signed him to a multi-year contract, so the founder of Strapsonville (I think that's still just a working title) will be back to build on the foundation he laid in 2025.
Fortifying the Jaguars running back room with youth, pass blocking, and physicality
Lian Coen's offense is infamous for its physicality and deployment of a punishing run game to set up explosive passes. Travis Etienne, a back who had rushed for 1,000 yards twice before entering the season, was approaching a contract year.
As any new GM would, Gladstone flooded the RB room with two tough rookies who A) fit Coen's scheme perfectly and B) relished the assignment of protecting No. 16 from anyone at any time.
Bhayshul Tuten, Jax's fourth-round pick out of Virginia Tech, finished his rookie season with 93 touches for 386 yards from scrimmage and 7 total touchdowns. To put that into perspective, the Jaguars' offense scored 51 (29 passing, 22 rushing) throughout the entire season.
LeQuint Allen, the squad's seventh-round choice from Syracuse, made his presence felt in various ways. The young back wasn't scared to mix it up in pass protection and even forced a fumble on special teams. He didn't gain a lot of yardage in his first year on the job, but he gave Etienne and Tuten the breaks needed to lay the hammer down time and time again.
As we all know, playoff football favors teams that can punish their opponents with a consistent run game. The firm known as Etienne, Tuten, and Allen is due to make their case as the best running back room in the league once the ball kicks off against the Bills.