The Jacksonville Jaguars are taking a noticeably different approach to the NFL Scouting Combine this offseason.
General manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen will not attend the 2026 event in Indianapolis. That marks a departure from 2025, when both were present during their first draft cycle together in Jacksonville.
Instead, the Jaguars will rely on their scouting department and medical staff to handle responsibilities on site. Every workout, drill and measurement will be recorded and distributed to teams, allowing the front office to study prospects remotely. From Jacksonville’s perspective, the measurable data is accessible without requiring its top decision makers to be in the building.
More notably, the Jaguars plan to bypass formal interviews at the Combine and will not host traditional Top 30 visits at team headquarters. In a report for Jaguars Wire, Paul Bretl relayed comments from Michael DiRocco that Jacksonville does not want a brief 15 minute meeting to significantly alter evaluations built over multiple seasons of scouting.
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The strategy reflects the model long used by the Los Angeles Rams, where Gladstone previously worked under Les Snead and Coen coached alongside Sean McVay.
It is also worth considering Jacksonville’s draft capital. The Jaguars traded their 2026 first round pick to the Cleveland Browns in last year’s move up for Travis Hunter. Their first selection currently sits at No. 56 overall, and they hold three third round picks at Nos. 81, 88 and 100.
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With added picks but no first round choice, Jacksonville appears comfortable trusting its internal evaluations while keeping its intentions private heading into draft season.
