Jaguars Have Crafted This Perfect Opportunity for Themselves

The Jacksonville Jaguars have quite the advantage entering next week's draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen spoke about year one and year two as the head coach during the annual pre-draft luncheon press conference in the media room at the Miller Electric Center Thursday April 9, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- While the NFL Draft is the definition of an inexact science, that doesn't mean there aren't some clear paths to follow for success.

For the Jacksonville Jaguars and general manager James Gladstone, it appears the Jaguars have followed one of the most tried and true paths of them all, crafting the perfect opportunity for themselves in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone talked about the upcoming NFL Draft during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ annual pre-draft luncheon press conference in the media room at the Miller Electric Center Thursday April 9, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Perfect Opportunity

The Jaguars have a roster that, as it stands today, could probably go out there and play a game and be OK. Not many teams can say this much, but that is the scenario the Jaguars find themselves in after Gladstone made his moves this offseason.

As a result, the Jaguars can truly follow the "best player available" rule and not make it a fallacy that is only followed in theory, as many teams do. A lot of teams try to convince them

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

Just consider this: the Jaguars team that went 13-4 a year ago lost four starters this offseason. Their replacements for those starters include: Travis Hunter, Chris Rodriguez Jr., and Caleb Ransaw, a top-100 pick from a year ago. The only spot that doesn't have a high-profile replacement already available is linebacker, but do not sleep on Ventrell Miller to replace Devin Lloyd.

In short, the Jaguars could realistically attack the draft by taking …. Anyone. Even at No. 56. That is not to say the Jaguars don’t have needs, because of course they do. But there isn’t a single spot where you have to argue that they must add an impact player.

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

“I think you'd like to say it's going to best player available. It's always going to come with a little nuance. You're going to compare across positions. Where there's a clear visual for contributions and a vision from our coaching staff to see that player's skill set come to life,” Gladstone said last week.

“You would typically appreciate that fact that could come to life sooner than later. All that stuff has to be weighed against each other. When you have two like players and one position allows maybe an earlier runway, you lean towards that direction. But it's not so black and white all the time.”

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

There is no spot in the draft where there Jaguars should feel backed into a corner, and that is a credit to Gladstone and his staff. Not every team can say they are entering the draft with all options actually on the table. This year, though, the Jaguars can do exactly that.