What the Jaguars Will Value Most in the NFL Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars are under new leadership, which means a new way of doing things. Jacksonville will look to general manager James Gladstone to ensure a successful draft haul.

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone speaks during a press conference at Miller Electric Center Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars are facing a crucial NFL Draft, as they have one of the top picks and significant roster issues. Jacksonville has undergone numerous changes this offseason. However, the biggest change they must make is to the roster itself.

Shad Khan hired James Gladstone to help the Jaguars put a more successful product on the field, after two seasons of subpar play. The Jaguars have mostly struggled over the past two seasons, leading to the sweeping changes Jacksonville made his offseason.

Gladstone explained that while Jaguars are looking for players they can draft to help improve their production on the field.

“There are some specific efficiencies that we've been able to sort of fold into the process. In large part there's a good bit of information already at our disposal and a lot of internal knowledge that already exists that's really helpful. Having our scouting staff on-site for the first time this week, all being under the same roof, it was really cool," Gladstone said.

"We got a chance to sit down yesterday and chop through a large chunk of the prospects, and got a chance to share with them my impressions of Day 1 with them. Let's just set the stage: you get into a draft meeting, and each person has a piece of paper or a notebook in front of them or their laptop. They're referencing their reports that they've done on each of the prospects, looking down, reading those reports out loud.

Gladstone noted that the Jaguars' front office has many checks in place to help find the best players for them come draft day. With this being the team's first draft under Gladstone, time will tell how well his process works.

"Something I appreciate more than anything is when an evaluator or scout treats those moments like you're at the watercooler, like you're just having a normal conversation, as opposed to this boardroom meeting. Our group inherently did that. They made it just a natural conversation. They didn't just revert to their notes, but rather what they already knew in their minds because they were so prepared for that moment on their own," Gladstone said.

"That was a really cool moment for me to see our scouting staff walk in the door as prepared as I could have ever hoped for those initial conversations. I use the phrase ‘being a fighter, not a fencer,’right? Instead of having to put on armor, pick up a sword to fight, they simply just had to close their fist. They were ready for that moment. I look forward to the rest of the conversations we're going to have here over the next nine days, see what else settles as the cement begins to harden.”

Jacksonville must secure a quality draft haul, as they cannot afford any more big misses in the draft or free agency.

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