Latest / The Jacksonville Jaguars Official Podcast Network / James Gladstone Recaps Jaguars' Picks in 2026 Draft

Transcript

James Gladstone Recaps Jaguars' Picks in 2026 Draft · The Jacksonville Jaguars Official Podcast Network

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Who's your first round pick?
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: The volume play, James, if you could come up with
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: a theme maybe for this year's drive class.
• 0:15
  Speaker 3: What would it be. Yeah, I think it was exactly that.
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: It was higher volume of draft capital and ensuring that
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: we could prioritize guys that match and align with what
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: I've spoke a lot about, which are the intangible elements,
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: the elements that don't necessarily always lie on the surface,
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: but are beneath the hood. And I think it's very
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: clear internally that we were able to do just that
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: and really excited about what lies in front. When you
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: look at a guy like Parker Hughes and have him
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: with your last draft pick, what do you see what
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: jumps out at you?
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: Oh?
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: Man, there's a ton to point to obviously. You know
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: the fact that he's somebody who can run very fast,
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: find the football, track it down and get ball carriers
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: on the ground is going to be really.
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: Helpful to our cause. And you know, to give our.
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: Coaching staff, our scouting staff, who in collaboration monitor the
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: undrafted college free agent landscape and.
• 1:08
  Speaker 3: Prioritize guys at each position.
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: There was a lot of heat from not only position coaches,
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: but also our special teams, coaches and our scouting staff
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: coming into the process that made sure that he was
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: never an afterthought and somebody that over the cours this
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: past month, Liam, myself and Camp were able to really
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: become intimate and understanding what he would offer and be
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: able to towards the end of the draft feel good
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: about submitting his name.
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: James, the state of your starting lineup.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: Also, your two d coming into the weekend did allow
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: you guys to maybe take sport developmental prospects today, especially
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: that you could just spend this year swim and up edges.
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I feel good about these guys that
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: we've we've selected or have in fact agreed to terms
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: with an undrafted college free agency can be for spots
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: and doing their part to level up our play and
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: the competition across the roster.
• 2:04
  Speaker 3: Uh while at the.
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: Same time knowing that there's going to be some development
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: required for sure, and uh, really knowing that those guys
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: are are going to pour into it, and you know,
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: we're not going to invite anybody into this building who
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: isn't a strong match for it. And you know, the
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: the idea that those that we have are in fact
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: built to thrive and be the best versions of themselves
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: because of the the environment and that alignment with what
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: they're actually built up and made of. I think is
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: is really queer in this crop.
• 2:35
  Speaker 3: Ba's Parker that you found.
• 2:37
  Speaker 4: Them in terms of linebacker off ball linebacker philosophy, looking
• 2:41
  Speaker 4: back at your time with the Rams, where things stand
• 2:45
  Speaker 4: out for two draft cycles in terms of the priority
• 2:47
  Speaker 4: of the off ball linebacker position, where you have found value,
• 2:50
  Speaker 4: how would you evaluate that?
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, so go to the first portion of
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: that question. Just like with any of.
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: The prospects, it typically comes from, uh, the area scout.
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: And so a Rob did a great job bringing his
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: name to the table early in the down and had
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: a ton of heat which ultimately funneled upward for our
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: crosscheck to then our undrafted college free agency committee, and
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: then ultimately through that layered portion of interest up to coordinator.
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: Level myself and Liam.
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: So that's kind of the transition of ultimately his viewing
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: and interest level.
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: But as it relates to the.
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: Second portion of that question, I certainly think you can
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: find quality players at a ton of different intervals, and
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: we certainly had success towards the latter half. In latter portion,
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: of drafts and also undrafted college free agency in Los Angeles,
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: specifically at.
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: The linebacker position.
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: But nonetheless, I think that instincts are certainly going to
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: be something that reigns supreme in that space.
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: Knowing that a lot happens fast and in.
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: The specific answers of Parker that stands out a real way.
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: Ton I mean that dude gets after it, He's got
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: the makeup that aligns with everything that we covet, and
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: the fact that he's able to disrupt both the run
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: and the pass.
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: Is really a helpful piece to our cause because.
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: We don't want to be two one dimensional defensively, and
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: in particular we want to stop the run, and knowing
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: that he can do his part to disrupt while at
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: the same time maintain fundamentals and techniques, it's a really
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: exciting piece blocks. Oh, it's impressive, And I know, like
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: I went and watched those specifically towards the latter half
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: of last week because I hadn't stumbled into him. I
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: just stumbled into something that we called did you Know?
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: And it was a little nugget that our analytics crew
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: puts together on each player.
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: And so as I'm just reading and I was.
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: Like, you know what, I've watched all of his defensive
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: snaps all of his games, but let me go watch
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: these kick block kicks specifically, And then it forced me
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: to go back and actually watch his special team snaps
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: and even on a number of the kicks that he
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: didn't block, he was creating disruption and getting really close
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: in a lot of instances as well. So that's certainly
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: more than just happenstance. It's a unique piece that he offers.
• 5:16
  Speaker 3: It's hard to explain.
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: I know he cares, so that's probably the first thing,
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: because you know, so many guys have talent, but the
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: mindset's the differentiator, and I think in that instance, it's
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: certainly something that I think places its part.
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: CJ.
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: Williams said he knew the Jacks are interested enough to
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: go back and watch every game from last season.
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: What did you find about CJA.
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: And your research on him? That is, I did not
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: know that nugget.
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: That is, I felt like I held that one close
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: to the vest. But nonetheless, I think he fits the
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: bill for a lot of the things that I've long
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: appreciated and wide receiver play. With both the guys that
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: we drafted at the position, they are extremely tough, extremely
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: good blockers. They are extremely good at a hacking the football.
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: Uh so really excited about both him and Josh Enter in.
• 6:04
  Speaker 3: The fray Josh Tom squad. Oh man, that's impressive.
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: I had not seen that, but I have watched his
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: football play and I can understand how he's able to
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: do that when he's got five guys on his back
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: and he's still standing. So that's, uh, that's not all
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: that surprising. But yeah, he is an impressive human being.
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: A couple walk ons late? How is walk on?
• 6:26
  Speaker 4: What does that tell you?
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: A couple of walk ons early? You know, you gotta
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: love it. I think that that is a part to
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: me that says a lot. If you can start there
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: and end in the conversation of being a potential draft pick,
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: it says a lot about uh, what you can overcome,
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: being able to, you know, when your backs against the wall,
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: be able to find your your path to success, and uh,
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: certainly something that we think about when we're prioritizing guys.
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: I tell you, I think very clearly he's got a
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: superpower that he offers in away, and that's catching the football. Obviously,
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: his production over the course of his college Tenure speaks
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: volumes being one of, if not the most productive pass
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: catcher in college history. It depending on how you look
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: at things, and I think for how we operate, for
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: how Trevor best operates, having a big target like that
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: it isn't a bad thing, especially when it comes to
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: red zone play.
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: You mention the theme was volume.
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: Did you go in with that plan? Was that always
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: in here that you wanted to get his many draft
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: picks and maybe not move around.
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that was a big piece to even my walkthrough
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: in the interview process. A higher volume of draft capital
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: was what we were seeking and knowing that the more
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: at bats you have, the better probability you'll have for
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: successful selections. Well, at the same time, you can have
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: a few more hit misses than you do hits.
• 7:55
  Speaker 3: But nonetheless, it was cool to lean into.
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: That as a part of this draft, and I know
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: with ten more that line in front of us in
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: twenty twenty seven, as it stands, we're going to have
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: a healthy three year run.
• 8:07
  Speaker 3: In terms account, what was your favorite.
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: Or most memorable call for the past three days?
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: Oh, man, I don't know if I can say that
• 8:14
  Speaker 3: on air.
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: There were definitely some entertaining moments. You always appreciate those calls,
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: knowing that they can be so meaningful for the guys
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: that are across the line. And you know, while there
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: were a ton of emotions for them, there were also
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: a ton of emotions on our end. And to see
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: our coaching staff, our scouting staff who have poured in
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: a ton of time and energy into coming to ultimately
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: a big decision, it's really just a moment where I
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: find myself being grateful, moment of gratitude to be able
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: to be the one to dial. But it's certainly a meaningful,
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: meaningful moment and the most entertaining ones I'll probably have
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: to keep offline.
• 8:58
  Speaker 3: Now that your second dropped class's doing.
• 9:01
  Speaker 4: How much different was this process compared to your personal monster?
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: You know, I think, uh it was certainly efficient in comparison, uh,
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: not being in a position where you have to translate
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: two different systems, uh, two different languages. Uh, it just
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: allows lines of communication to be far more fluid. And
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: so I think that was a really helpful piece to
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: to our process, and uh one that I have to
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: imagine will only continue to get more refined and better
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: as we move forward. Sans Uh gosh I wanna say,
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: three weeks.
• 9:35
  Speaker 3: Ago was when I really poured in. Uh.
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: That was another one where UH, a our area scout
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: had a ton of interest our undrafted college free agent committee,
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: UH surfaced him to the top and got us really
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: pouring in at a deeper level across our over the
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: top scouts, UH coordinator level, myself and Liam And then
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: if I'm not mistaken, he ended up being the player
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: that was listed in the annual article of go.
• 10:05
  Speaker 3: Ahead and figure out who this guy is?
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: And Brian Xanders ended up knocking on my door and
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: after reading it said, Hey, you know what, I think.
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: I think he may be somebody that is going to
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: become more publicly aware here soon, or may become of
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: interest to others if they're able to figure out as well.
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: But nonetheless certainly excited to bring him into the organization,
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: knowing that he's got really a cool background, you know,
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: and one that is not all that different than some
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: of the others that we drafted overcoming the odds and
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: earning their place. And you know, he was really really
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: effective in rushing the past or creating disruption this past season.
• 10:45
  Speaker 4: James, how do you can have what he got out
• 10:47
  Speaker 4: of this job? To what he wanted to get.
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: Out of them.
• 10:49
  Speaker 3: Oh, that's a great question.
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: So I can say as a part of maybe the
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: day before kickoff on Thursday, we had up putting players
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: in slots across all eleven picks, and can in fact
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: say that we were able to nail ten of those
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: eleven and we only made ten selections.
• 11:12
  Speaker 3: So that was a pretty fun outcome knowing that.
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: We were able to map it as cleanly as we were.
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: I don't think that had anything to do with skill,
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: but maybe a little more luck than that.
• 11:22
  Speaker 3: But that was a pretty exciting piece. Guys are transfers
• 11:27
  Speaker 3: so much more now than five to ten years ago.
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: Does that make the process for you guys a scouting process,
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: investigation process, any harder or any more difficult intend it
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: used to be?
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: It makes it interesting, It makes it a little bit
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: more of a chase. Well, at the same time, you know,
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: when guys are only in one place for a short
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: period of time, you may not get a full picture,
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: so it's only a glimpse typically, So you'd like for
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: there to be a little bit more of a long
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: term standing position for you to source intel from and
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: not just someplace that they may have stopped just called
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: some version of a stay. But I think it helps
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: when people are really intimate with the player that you're
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: listening to their perspective on, and so that bouncing around
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: can make it a little more challenging. Well at the
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: same time, now you get a few different more perspectives
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: on the matter.
• 12:16
  Speaker 3: So I don't think.
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: It hurts, so to speak, but yeah, it definitely makes
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: the chase a little bit more entertaining.
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: It's a kind of mapping out the draftic you ever
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: done that before?
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: You're talking to La last.
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: Season, be able to do it, that was a fun
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: exercise this year, and I can say to a certain
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: degree I would, but I wasn't making the decisions in
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: Los Angeles, so that was probably.
• 12:40
  Speaker 3: More on my own or off to the side.
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: Whereas this one was obviously I had a little bit
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: more control over what direction we actually went. I know
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: that Jake does that on his own Jake Temmy, and
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: it's fun to look over and cross reference a larger
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: list of players that he would love to choose from
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: and have that be a part of the conversation. But yeah,
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: that was a unique one for this this cycle.
• 13:08
  Speaker 3: No, So that was fun. That was a blast.
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Liam and I were just laughing about it that,
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: you know, that was an oddity. I think I think
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: that was an outlier. I wouldn't anticipate that being the
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: case even moving forward.
• 13:19
  Speaker 4: I feel like slash, but how is your value evaluate
• 13:23
  Speaker 4: your pass rush? I appreciation.
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: That's hard to say that it's any different than where
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: it was, uh, you know towards the end of last season.
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: I think the exciting thing from my vantage point is
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: we got some really good football players across that defensive front,
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: and our scheme is prepped to tie not only the
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: rush plan but also the back end coverage together in
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: a way that's gonna make that really impactful.
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: It's camera camera, k I don't left angle outline more
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: than you can be hoped for. Brookie can all these
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: guys mad?
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that could impact just how quickly he's able to
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: hit the ground running.
• 14:00
  Speaker 3: Uh. We'll assess that a little more closely upon arrival.
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: But it's a fair question because it could in fact
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: delay his start to on the grass play. Everybody else
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: is good, goud, Okay, thank your h