Jaguars hire Rams scouting chief James Gladstone as NFL’s youngest GM in franchise reset

Jaguars hire James Gladstone as NFL’s youngest GM.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially hired Los Angeles Rams director of scouting strategy James Gladstone as their new general manager. At 34, he’s now the youngest GM in the NFL.

This move comes just weeks after the Jaguars fired Trent Baalke on January 22 following a disastrous 4-13 season that left them third in the AFC South. Jacksonville is now in full reset mode, bringing in Liam Coen as head coach and Tony Boselli as executive vice president of football operations. Gladstone is the final piece in what looks like a complete overhaul of the franchise’s leadership.

We have agreed to terms with James Gladstone to become our General Manager. pic.twitter.com/nlLyiWlTed
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) February 21, 2025

Jaguars owner Shad Khan made it clear that this hire wasn’t a rushed decision.

“James emerged as my choice, and our choice, following a painstaking but energizing interview process that left nothing to doubt… In the end, we found James to be a class ahead and exceptional in every regard—vision, new ideas, communication, chemistry, and a keen understanding of the league and our team.”

Now, Gladstone walks into a franchise with a No. 5 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, a massive quarterback contract in Trevor Lawrence’s $275 million extension, and an organization that hasn’t looked like a serious contender in a while. His job? Fix it.

James Gladstone helped the Rams rebuild after their Super Bowl collapse—can he do the same in Jacksonville?

After the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl 56 in 2022, everything fell apart. Sean McVay‘s squad took on a record amount of dead cap, offloaded veterans, and walked straight into what should’ve been a losing season. Instead, James Gladstone—running point on scouting and draft strategy—helped pivot the franchise into a rebuild-on-the-fly that somehow worked.

With Gladstone leading the scouting department, the Rams:

Drafted 14 rookies in 2023, signed 26 undrafted free agents, and turned five of them into starters.
Found Puka Nacua in the fifth round—who went on to break rookie receiving records.
Drafted Kobie Turner and Byron Young, both Defensive Rookie of the Year finalists.
In 2024, with their first first-round pick since 2016, they landed Jared Verse, who won Defensive Rookie of the Year.

This wasn’t luck. This was high-level scouting, analytics, and an understanding of roster-building that turned a cap-strapped, aging team into a playoff contender in two seasons.

That’s what Jacksonville needs. They don’t have a roster to win now, but they do have Trevor Lawrence, the No. 5 pick, and a front office that’s willing to overhaul everything. Gladstone has been here before. The difference? This time, he’s the guy in charge.

James Gladstone’s relationship with Liam Coen will define Jacksonville’s offense for years

Liam Coen wasn’t just a random head coach hire—he was part of the Rams’ system that Gladstone helped build. Coen worked under Sean McVay in multiple roles, including assistant offensive coach (2018-2020) and offensive coordinator (2022). Gladstone was scouting players to fit McVay’s scheme, and Coen was coaching them.

Now, they have to do it again.

Welcome to the Jaguars , James Gladstone 🔥

He literally snatched the job from Ian Cunningham.

Also btw Gladstone turned down multiple GM interviews this offseason. He really wanted the Jaguars job 🔥

Now we know why he was staying overnight 😂 pic.twitter.com/ONsW8eSDP7
— Yard Line Yoda (@YardLineYoda) February 21, 2025

The Jaguars’ offense in 2024 was a mess—Trevor Lawrence struggled behind a bad offensive line, Calvin Ridley was inconsistent, and Travis Etienne Jr. couldn’t carry the team by himself. Gladstone’s first job is to fix the roster, and if history is any indicator, he’ll:

Invest heavily in the trenches, like he did in L.A.
Find mid-to-late round gems, especially at skill positions.
Build an offense around Coen’s vision, like the Rams did under McVay.

This isn’t about a quick fix. This is about making Jacksonville a team that can actually sustain success, something they’ve struggled with for years.

James Gladstone knows how to rebuild. Liam Coen knows how to coach offense. The Jaguars are betting that together, they can finally turn this franchise around.

Image: Imagn Images

James Gladstone

Natasha Bose

I write about sports because, well, it brings in the big bucks! I’m not some lifelong analyst or stats guru, truth being told, you’ve probably never heard of me!—I just know how to research, write, and make things sound good. That’s the job!
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