How the Jaguars Have Stockpile of Picks for 2026

The Jacksonville Jaguars have done a great job stockpiling draft capital despite not having a first round pick.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter, left, answers questions as General Manager James Gladstone, right, sits next to him during a press conference Friday, March 25, 2025 at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There are always risks involved in making trades in the NFL Draft. Trading down risks the possibility of missing out on a top prospect that could elevate the roster while trading up lands you a potential high-end player but sacrifices high draft capital to obtain a prospect who may or may not become an elite player. This was the risk the Jacksonville Jaguars were weighing Thursday night.

This is likely what was running through the minds of general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen when the two made the decision to move up from No. 5 overall to No. 2 with the Cleveland Browns to select Colorado cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter.

The team gave up their second-round pick and first-round choice next year to move up three spots in the pecking order.

What Gladstone did next was impressive. Teams sometimes have a tendency to pick and choose their battles and one of the ones they choose not to battle is finding ways to acquire more draft capital. The Jaguars were not projected to make a pick until the third round, No. 70 overall before trading back with the Detroit Lions and acquiring three third-round selections, including two next year.

Add in the trades made in the last year with Riley Patterson, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Cam Robinson, the Jaguars suddenly had a wealth of draft capital for the 2026 NFL Draft with 11 projected picks despite not having a first-round slot.

One of the big reasons why the Jaguars and Lions pulled off their trade was because the latter is in their Super Bowl window and are willing to make more sacrifices to reach the mountain top.

This might sound contradicting for what the Jaguars did to get Hunter, but the latter is the type of talent that you move up to take– a rare non-quarterback prospect with a skill set unlike anything we’ve seen before.

Smart general managers find ways to add more assets to the roster when sacrificing more for the players you want, and the young Gladstone found a way this past weekend to stockpile draft capital.

It will be fascinating to see how this plays out next offseason in what looks to be a 2026 draft class full of potential superstars across the board. Jacksonville should have the capabilities to move back into the first round, but sitting pretty with four Day 2 selections should be good enough for the franchise as they pursue playoff contention.

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