Franchise First: Jaguars Sit Out Round One of the NFL Draft
Jacksonville made history in Pittsburgh on Thursday night, not with a pick, but with the absence of one. That tells you everything about where this franchise is headed.
Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone, left and head coach Liam Coen joked when asked how Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli effects their draft picks 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 No pick? No problem!
That seems to be the new normal for the new regime in Jacksonville. As Thursday night in Pittsburgh came and went without the Jacksonville Jaguars calling a name and with it, a quiet piece of franchise history went into the record books. For the first time in the 32-year history of the team, the organization did not make a pick in the opening round of the NFL Draft.
The first round offered Jacksonville fans something somewhat unexpected for past years, NFL Draft day one clarity. With the Cleveland Browns using the pick surrendered in the Travis Hunter trade to select wide receiver KC Concepcion, Jaguars fans now have a much clearer picture of the full cost of that 2025 draft trade up. But beyond the draft capital accounting, Thursday night also offered something broader for the Jacksonville fanbase, starving for draft day action: a glimpse into what it may look like to root for a franchise run by James Gladstone.
A front office willing to sit out the first round entirely, trust the process, and allow the board to come to them is a different kind of operation than what Jacksonville fans have generally been accustomed to, and Thursday night made that abundantly clear. Additionally, the team never seemed close to making a deal to enter the first round action via a trade up. “We had some calls earlier in the day to gauge what paths could exist should they present themselves,” Gladstone stated following the draft.