T
he Jacksonville Jaguars are 6-2 to start the 2026 NFL season and are going all-in. The team was active at the trade deadline, acquiring several big name players including defensive back Jessie Bates, defensive lineman Davon Godchaux and defensive lineman Jordan Davis. The Jaguars already rank among the AFC’s and NFL’s top teams, but they have raised their level of play even further and clearly want to reach the Super Bowl.
But acquiring those players came at a cost. The Jaguars sent their 2027 first-round pick, 2027 second-round pick, multiple 2028 late-round picks and a 2029 second-round pick in trades, jeopardizing the team’s chances to build a roster of young talent in the future. But for a team well-positioned to make a run this season, general manager James Gladstone made his stance clear in regard to sending away such a big haul to acquire Bates, Godchaux and Davis.
Gladstone Makes Stance Clear
Gladstone, who the Jaguars hired ahead of the 2025 NFL season, previously worked for the Los Angeles Rams under general manager Les Snead. During this time there, the Rams won a Super Bowl utilizing a strategy where they traded several draft picks to acquire high profile stars. Gladstone noted that the team still managed to make a lot of picks, while taking into account the compensatory draft pick process and free agency as a way to build the roster as well.
“It’s a very symbiotic process that encompasses a lot of layers to it, but it’s certainly not ‘F them picks,” Gladstone told reporters on Tuesday after the deadline. “While that’s been characterized as the approach, it’s not necessarily — we actually value picks. We don’t always use them on the three days that exist in April.”
Gladstone added that while draft picks are important, a part of it involves acquiring proven players over drafting rookies with an uncertain outlook. The Jaguars finished 13-4 and won the AFC South last season, but lost in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs to the Buffalo Bills. The team does not want to take any chances in 2026.
Jaguars Deadline Acquisitions
The Jaguars acquired Bates from the Atlanta Falcons in order to bolster the secondary and add a seasoned veteran. Bates, a second round draft pick in 2018, is a three-time All-Pro selection and a 2023 Pro Bowl selection. He is in the midst of a strong season, registering 60 total tackles, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception in nine games with the Falcons.
Davis came from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2027 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick and brings extreme size to the trenches. In nine games for the Eagles, he registered 31 total tackles and 1.5 sacks but it is his run stopping ability that makes him so important for the Jaguars.
Godchaux, a fifth-round pick in 2017, came from the New Orleans Saints and while his 2026 season has not been as dominant as years past, he still brings value. He does not get many sacks, but Jacksonville can rely on him to stop the run as well. Godchaux and Bates will become free agents after the season, while Davis will remain under contract through 2029.
Jaguars’ GM James Gladstone Explains View on Trading Away Draft Picks