The Jacksonville Jaguars gave up their 2026 first-round selection as part of the package to move up for two-way star Travis Hunter last year. That means that their first pick in the upcoming draft will be at No. 56. Having said that, general manager James Gladstone has shown that he's not afraid to trade up or down. This is why nobody would bat an eye if he tried to jump into the first round.
Of course, it takes two to tango, and the Jags would have to first find a team that's willing to move out of the first round. Fortunately for them, the ideal partner may be hiding in plain sight.
The Jaguars could call the Seahawks to trade up into the first round
Field Yates and Matt Miller of ESPN identified two teams that could trade out of Round 1. Miller chose the Buffalo Bills, pointing out that general manager Brandon Beane has shown an affinity for trading down.
On the other hand, Yates picked the Seattle Seahawks, citing the fact that they only have four selections and may want to acquire more.
"To be clear, my assessment of who is most likely is based off what I believe is logical; no team has revealed its intentions to move up or down in the draft," Yates wrote. "But the Seahawks are a sensible pick for two obvious reasons. They enter the draft with a league-low four selections and can offer the 32nd pick to another team that wants to secure a fifth year of contract control for a prospect."
The Seahawks hold the last pick in the first round by virtue of winning the Super Bowl. While you could make the case that the 32nd overall selection holds similar value to No. 33 or even No. 36, players who are drafted in Round 1 have a fifth-year option on their rookie deals, giving clubs a bit of control over them.
This could incentivize the Jags to trade into the first round, especially if James Gladstone has zeroed in on a prospect.
This year's class of defensive tackles is somewhat shallow, so Jacksonville could most definitely jump into the first round to address the position. Kayden McDonald has been projected to go in the first round. He solidified his stock as a Day 1 prospect after an impressive outing at the Ohio State pro day.
Why could the Jaguars move up into Round 1?
Even if it isn't the Seahawks or Buffalo, the Jaguars could make a push to move into the first round if they want to come out with a game-altering prospect. Working in their favor is that they have 11 draft picks, so they most definitely have the ammo to trade up.
The Jags have three selections in Round 3, two in the fifth round, and three in Round 7. Depending on how high they want to move up, they could use two or three of those selections. Of course, Jacksonville could also stay put and use the selections it has to address the larger scale roster.
At No. 56, the team's brass could still choose an intriguing defensive tackle. Similarly, this is a good year to draft a pass rusher, so the Jags could easily target one in Rounds 3 or 4. Having said that, it's hard to see them using all 11 selections.
Either way, the Jaguars have options in the draft, and if they do want to trade into the first round, they'll have no shortage of partners.