INDIANAPOLIS — The 2026 NFL Combine kicked off this week with a glaring absence. The Jacksonville Jaguars left their heavy hitters at home. General manager James Gladstone, head coach Liam Coen, and EVP of Football Operations Tony Boselli bypassed the annual prospect cattle call at Lucas Oil Stadium. They joined the Los Angeles Rams as the only two franchises to completely pull their top brass from the event. Critics chirped. Rivals took notes. But Gladstone didn’t flinch. Fresh off a dominant 13-4 regular season and a bitter 27-24 Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills, the 35-year-old executive made it perfectly clear: Jacksonville evaluates tape, not 15-minute speed dates.
The Los Angeles Blueprint Hits Duval
Gladstone cut his teeth under Les Snead in Los Angeles. The Rams famously stopped attending the Combine years ago, prioritizing deep film study over short-burst interviews in crowded hotel rooms. Now, that same isolated, tape-heavy philosophy runs the show in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars didn’t completely abandon Indianapolis. The chilly Midwest wind didn’t deter the team’s scouts and physicians, who remain boots-on-the-ground conducting medical checks and standard interviews with a full allotment of prospects. However, Gladstone and Coen refuse to let rehearsed, pressurized meet-and-greets sway their draft board. Every piece of video, analytical data, and medical chart beams straight to their war room at the Miller Electric Center.
Other executives raised their eyebrows at the strategy. Denver Broncos general manager George Paton offered a simple “To each his own” to the media, shrugging off Jacksonville’s absence. New Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady took a different stance, openly questioning the move.
“Anytime we can have an interaction and see them or talk to them, I don’t know why you wouldn’t take advantage of that.”
— Joe Brady, Head Coach, Buffalo Bills
“The information and data gathered in Indianapolis are integral to our process… Every piece of information or video that we need from the NFL Combine is at our disposal, which allows us to make appropriate decisions on behalf of the Jaguars organization.”
— James Gladstone, General Manager, Jacksonville Jaguars
Draft Board Implications / What’s Next
Jacksonville holds significant capital and clear needs entering the 2026 NFL Draft. They need interior pass-rushing juice to complement their ascending defense and potentially another weapon to round out Coen’s explosive offensive scheme.
Skipping the in-person circus actually shields their intentions. By avoiding formal sit-downs between top decision-makers and specific players, Gladstone prevents critical leaks. No one knows exactly who Coen covets for his offense. Opposing front offices cannot track which prospects spent 20 minutes locked in a room with the Jaguars’ head coach.
Expect Jacksonville to lean strictly on college tape, advanced analytics, and background checks. Free agency opens next month. Gladstone has a tight salary cap to navigate and massive decisions looming on defensive stars. The real work happens in Duval, not on the convention floor.
