Former general manager Trent Baalke had a few hits during his stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but not nearly enough to prevent his firing. To replace him, the team hired James Gladstone, who has wasted no time leaving his mark at the helm of the front office.
Expected to pick at No. 5, the Jags made a trade with the Cleveland Browns to move up for Travis Hunter. As part of the deal. They gave up their second round pick, the 36th overall. This means that they had to wait until Round 3 to make their next selection.
But then, Mike Silver of The Athletic reported that the Jags were working on a move early in the third round. The time came, and they traded the 70th overall pick, their first third-rounder, and pick No. 1042 to the Detroit Lions in exchange for pick No. 102 and two third-round selections next year.
You could make the case that the Jags needed to stay put and address one of their remaining needs. Cornerback, the offensive line, the front four, cornerback, and safety are among the positions that could have used a boost. Nevertheless, Gladstone believes that there was more value in trading back and acquire extra selections.
Now, the Jaguars hold the following picks in what's left of the draft:
- Round 3, pick 88
- Round 4, pick 102
- Round 4, pick 104
- Round 4, pick 107
- Round 6, pick 200
- Round 6, pick 194
- Round 7, pick 221
The Jaguars are giving James Gladstone carte blanche in the 2025 NFL Draft
You may not agree with James Gladstone's strategy, but the fact that the Jacksonville Jaguars are giving him the chance to implement it without interference deserves praise. He already had success as a member of the Los Angeles Rams front office, so he deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Moreover, if the Jaguars didn't trust Gladstone, they wouldn't have hired him to begin with. It's also worth noting that he didn't go rogue. He surely consulted with head coach Liam Coen and team vice president Tony Boselli before making a deal.
The bottom line is that the Jaguars are trying something new after failing to see results the past few years. If they had wanted more of the same, they would've kept Trent Baalke, right?