2 Reasons the Jaguars Were Wise Not to Trade Into the First Round

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- For the first time in franchise history, the Jacksonville Jaguars did not make a first-round pick as the 2026 NFL Draft's first-round came and went.

While it was certainly a new feeling in Jacksonville, where the most wins in a calendar year used to come in March and April, it does feel like the Jaguars were right to stand pat.

james gladstpnm — Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone speaks during a press conference at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There was a lot of smoke leading to Thursday that the Jaguars were a team to watch in the first-round, but they left Thursday with all 11 of their picks still at their disposal. But 32 picks came and went, and Jaguars general manager James Gladstone made it clear after the first round ended that the Jaguars never really came close to making such a deal.

“Yeah, we got some calls earlier today just to gauge what paths could exist should they present themselves. Nothing came to fruition, obviously. Nothing sort of transpired in real time that would've been worth even flagging," Gladstone said.

james gladston — Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone speaks during a press conference next to head coach Liam Coen at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While some may be wondering why the Jaguars didn't trigger a big splash in an offseason that, so far, has lacked one, the Jaguars made the responsible choice, and there are two reasons why.

How the board fell

As things stand today, the Jacksonville Jaguars certainly seem to be in a good position entering Friday. They still have to wait a bit to pick at No. 56 unless they move up, but the board seems like it has fallen just right for them regardless of whether they stay pat.

Yes, there is a talent dropoff in this class before the No. 56 pick. That is why there is a good case to make for the Jaguars to move up in the second round to make their first pick of the draft. And by all measures, it certainly appears the Jaguars are one of the teams that has explored all possible avenues for such a move in the hours leading to Day 2.

But considering the players who are still on the board, the Jaguars will likely be able to move up at a smaller asking price than it would have taken to go from No. 56 to the first-round, while still landing an impact player. As things stand right now, there are still 12 players in the consensus board's top-41 who are available. With the Jaguars picking 24 picks in, they need to jump about a dozen spots or so to get one of the draft's top players in this range, which seems pretty doable.

james gladstone — Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli and general manager James Gladstone look on after the game against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

There are plenty of names that make sense for the Jaguars to target if they make a move early on Day 2, and that is because a few picks went their way in the first round. There was also not much of a run on the defensive line, which could set the Jaguars up in a good spot.

Had defensive tackles and edge rushers been flying off the board at the end of the first round, it is likely a different story. But for now, the Jaguars look like a team who can take advantage of the draft coming to them.

The 5th-Year Option

With 11 picks over the next two days and four picks on the docket for Friday night, the Jaguars have the ammo to frankly make a move whenever they want. It is not as if the Jaguars' only window to make a splash would have been moving into the first-round, especially when you consider how unimportant the fifth-year option has seemed in Jacksonville so far.

The Jaguars' regime has indeed picked up two of the three fifth-year options that have come across their desk in the last two years, with the most recent one being ascending right tackle Anton Harrison. With that said, there does not appear to be an inherent edge when it comes to the Jaguars and owning a fifth-year option, which helps explains why the Jaguars would rather be aggressive at a discounted rate on Friday.

The Jaguars picked up the fifth-year option last year on Travon Walker, but he never played a snap on it as a result of the Jaguars signing him to his new deal earlier this offseason. At the rate the Jaguars have been able to re-sign players, it is probably a logical assumption to make that Harrison will get a new deal next year before his option kicks in, too.

Then there is the Devin Lloyd option. The Jaguars made the decision last year not to pick up Lloyd's fifth-year option, which set him up for his contract season. The Jaguars could have overcorrected and made Lloyd one of the NFL's top-paid linebackers after his stellar season, but they instead seemed content to let him walk in free agency in favor of landing what will likely be a fourth-round pick.

Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

That does not even throw into the equation the fact that Gladstone saw the Rams thrive without fift-year options during his tenure. The Rams rarely picked in the first-round during his years with the frandchise, which means Gladstone has already been front and center for building a roster without the fifth-year options being a big part of the equation.

Gladstone and the Jaguars have shown zero issues so far when it comes to managing contracts and the buisness side of the sport. Most of their key players have been re-signed, and the two key players who did leave (Lloyd and Travis Etienne) were never really expected to return to begin with.

In short, this does not appear to matter enough to how the Jaguars do things to warrant moving into the first. I do believe that the Jaguars will still move up because of the value that is still left on the board, but the Jaguars do not need to make moves based on contract tools. They have done a good job managing the roster to this point, and they deserve the benefit of the doubt when it comes to that area of the franchise for now.

Add us as a preferred source on Google