What We Are Hearing About the Jaguars Ahead of the NFL Draft

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- This time next week, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the rest of the NFL will be in the very final days of the 2026 draft process.

Jaguars general manager James Gladstone is set to direct his second draft alongside head coach Liam Coen and EVP Tony Boselli, and with 11 picks the Jaguars are due to make a statement.

So when putting out feelers to our NFL contacts, what is the rest of the NFL saying about the Jaguars and what they expect? We take a look below.

Hard to Read?

One thing that is clear when speaking to others who work in the NFL is that the Jaguars' draft process has certainly put up the walls the Jaguars seemed to hope for. Gladstone talked about gaining compeietive edges due to their lack of top-30 visits, and the consensus seems to be that few teams really have a read on the Jaguars.

"They do the Rams thing. Pro days, visits, now the combine. They are tough to figure out," one NFC staff member told Jaguars On SI.

james gladston — Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Jaguars, like the Rams in recent years, did not send their brass to the combine. When speaking to staff members on a few different teams, I did not get the sense that other teams cared, and frankly hardly noticed. The Jaguars see value in the combine but they approach it differently. Other teams appear to care more about their own approach than the Jaguars which, well, is how it should be.

It does feel like the Jaguars have done what they intended to do when they overhauled their draft process. The Jaguars didn't exactly telegraph interest in prospects in the path, but they didn't hide it nearly to the degree they do under the new regime.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manger James Gladstone speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"Not taking visits leaves other teams in the dark, but we are all doing things to try to throw you off the scent," the scout said. "They do their own thing. If it works, it works."

No. 56?

The biggest question facing the Jaguars' draft, of course, is the No. 56 pick. The Jaguars do not hold a first-round pick as a result of the Travis Hunter trade, which makes No. 56 their most interest pick. At least, for now.

"I do not think they pick No. 56. Not at all," one former AFC front office staff member told Jaguars On SI. "They will trade up or down. I bet down."

Gladstone made a flurry of trades during last year's draft, not even counting the Hunter selection. He has also made quite a few trades during the offseason and even during the regular season, making him of the NFL's most aggressive general managers.

james gla — 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

"They operate a lot differently than they used to. I think the aggressiveness is the biggest difference," the staff member said.

In short, the Jaguars seem to be operating the exact way they want to: they are keeping the rest of the NFL on their toes, and there is little question they have a move or two up their sleeve before they are on the clock.