The Jacksonville Jaguars don't have a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and their first pick won't come until the second half of Round 2. But based on general manager James Gladstone's willingness to take a swing, nobody will bat an eye if they mean an aggressive effort to trade up.
In the 2025 draft, the Jags trade up three spots in the first round to select Travis Hunter. They later acquired two extra picks in the third round when they moved down several spots. And throughout the year, Gladstone made several trades to address the larger scale roster.
Fast forward to 2026, and the Jaguars are in a position to once again shake up the draft. And based on a comment Gladstone made, that seems like a real possibility.
James Gladstone doesn't mind that the Jaguars pick until No. 56
James Gladstone, along with head coach Liam Coen, met with the local media ahead of the draft. He said that he's not overly concerned about waiting to make his first pick at No. 56, pointing out that he had to wait longer when he was part of the Los Angeles Rams front office.
"We've been through it before. There is no doubt, we've waited longer. 104 was our first pick. So we get to cut that in half, a little bit, you know what I mean?" Gladstone told the press corps. "So there's a what do we got? Two weeks, one day for now. Yeah, until our pick for now, right? So that kind of thing, you're always going to stay agile, and so you're never bored."
Gladstone continued, "You're always thinking through what might we be able to do. And I think that mental gymnastics certainly is an engaging element, regardless of where your first pick point is."
For context, Gladstone was part of the Rams front office during a period in which they traded their first-round pick for several years. That's why he's unfazed by the fact that Jacksonville's first pick of the draft doesn't come until Day 2.
What's revealing about his remarks is that Gladstone says that their first pick won't come until the second round for now, potentially implying that the Jags could trade up. Now, they could move up just a few spots, but it wouldn't be shocking to see them jump into the first round when you take into account that they have 11 draft picks and three compensatory third-rounders in 2027.
The Jaguars have the draft ammo to trade up
Of course, the Jaguars could ultimately stay put, but there's an equal chance they'll trade up. After all, it's hard to picture them using all of their 11 picks in 2026. This begs the question: if they jump into the first round, who would they choose? Defensive tackle and the pass rush are arguably their biggest needs.
The top defensive tackles in this year's draft are Kayden McDonalds, Peter Woods, and Caleb Banks. All three will be gone by the time Jacksonville is on the clock. If James Gladstone has set his sights on one of them, he probably won't hesitate to trade up.
On the other hand, this is a good year to draft a pass rusher, so the Jaguars could easily find one in Rounds 2 or 3. But if they want one of the best, whether it's Keldrick Faulk, Cashius Howell, or anyone else, the Jags will need to move up into the first round.
There are different ways the draft would unfold, but regardless of how things play out, expect the Jaguars to make things interesting.