March 15, 2026, 3:07 p.m. ET
It’s been a quiet start to free agency for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but James Gladstone expects to enter the NFL draft in late April with one element that every general manager covets: Flexibility.
Rather than Gladstone feeling like he must address a certain position or two at a specific point, he can let the board do dictate who the Jaguars select. When teams can get in trouble is when they feel the urgency to select a specific position, which can lead to reaching and overdrafting a prospect.
“I think the best way to sort of think about that is right now what we’ve structured it to be is that we don’t have to pick based off of need necessarily at any specific spot,” Gladstone said recently. “That’s a luxury.
“I think when I was with the Los Angeles Rams, there were too many drafts, and I got to live this, where you felt pressed to take a specific position, and there were instances where it worked out fine for us. There were instances where it didn’t. And that may just be the draft. It may just be the way those specific situations unfolded.”
Although the Jaguars haven’t made an abundance of signings in free agency, the moves they have made have provided them with that coveted flexibility.
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Re-signing Montaric Brown helped solidify the cornerback unit. Bringing back Dennis Gardeck gives the Jaguars their starting SAM linebacker, while Quintin Morris can resume his role as TE2, providing the all-important blocking presence to Liam Coen’s offense.
Signing Chris Rodriguez has given the Jaguars another option at running back after losing Travis Etienne in free agency.
“I think walking into the door on Day 2, as it stands right now, we’re not saying that we need this positions at this spot, which is a luxury, and I’m excited about that,” Gladstone added. “It means that we can really take somebody that we understand, that we have a clear vision for alignment on, and it doesn’t have to be dependent on it, it’s got to be at this specific spot or this side of the ball.”
Now, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t positions to be addressed either. Defensive tackle and defensive end are two of the more pressing needs that the Jaguars still have. Adding competition at cornerback, safety, and even along the offensive line could be valuable as well.
However, after undergoing heavy roster turnover last offseason, Gladstone raised the floor of the entire roster, with a strong foundation established at each position. This, in turn, allows the Jaguars to prioritize the best player available in the draft — something every team would love to do.
The Jaguars are without a first-round pick, but have 11 selections in total, including four within the top 100, giving Gladstone the opportunity to add instant help and to move around the draft board as he sees fit.
