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Jacksonville Jaguars' James Gladstone has a reason why they won't host NFL draft prospects
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- Jacksonville Jaguars' James Gladstone has a reason why they won't host NFL draft prospects
The Jacksonville Jaguars are still "allowing the cement to settle" as the 2025 NFL Draft gets underway next week.
General manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen met with media for roughly 20 minutes during their pre-draft availability Tuesday.
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While they didn't exactly reveal who they'll select at No. 5 overall, or any of their 10 current draft picks , Gladstone did provide insight to an interesting pre-draft philosophy.
The Jaguars have not conducted any in-house visits with prospects during this draft cycle. It's something Gladstone explained in detail during the press conference.
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"Let's take it this direction: the implicit bias that can come to life this late in the process," Gladstone said. "The last player you might sit down with, and how that might differ from the first player you sit down with knowing it's closer to the decision that's upcoming."
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During the visits, players meet with the team's staff and tour the facility. They get a chance to vet and be vetted.
It's a process that the Jaguars have opted out on this offseason as new leadership has taken root. But according to Gladstone, there are other ways for the team to vet players.
Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone laughs during a press conference at Miller Electric Center Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
"The sourced intel from those who have lived with these individuals is likely to be more accurate than me sitting down with a prospect for a short period of time and attempting to dissect who that human being is," he said.
The intel he's speaking of comes from the work scouts do when looking into players. For years, they'll attend college games and speak with coaches or other staff members to get a sense of who the player is.
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Obviously, the on-field talent is one part of the process. But it can be argued getting to know the player you're drafting on a personal level is equally as important.
"I don't view myself as having this extreme superpower of deciphering the complexity of a person in an hour, right? I would probably say I can work that in tandem," Gladstone continued. "But there are other mechanisms that we tend to lean into to help us determine whether or not a player is, in fact, a fit for us, more than just a singular touch point that would be a top 30 visit."
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, left, listens as general manager James Gladstone answers questions from the media during a press conference at Miller Electric Center Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Another added reason for Gladstone and company not doing the top 30 visit is the thought process of keeping your intended moves to yourself until you do them.
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The in-house visits are often announced on social media by reporters, which gives a hint the team may favor a certain player. And every additional advantage you have on draft day is a plus.
"So often those become public-facing touch points at which point you're sacrificing some version of strategy come draft day as well," Gladstone said.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars haven't hosted top NFL draft prospects. Here's why
