The Jaguars didn’t stop at one defensive tackle. They went back for another.
After adding safety Jessie Bates III and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux on Monday, Jacksonville made its biggest move of the deadline by landing Jordan Davis from the Eagles. Per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Jaguars are sending a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-round selection to Philadelphia in the deal. It’s the biggest blockbuster of this year’s midseason deadline outside of the Bears’ trade for Jeffery Simmons, which cost Chicago two first-round picks.
For Jacksonville, this is about more than patching a hole. The Jaguars needed help up front even before DaVon Hamilton went down with a season-ending injury, and that loss made defensive tackle an even bigger priority. With Godchaux and Davis now in the mix, they’ve addressed it in a major way.
But the Davis deal also screams intent. Jacksonville is not nibbling around the edges here.
It’s pushing chips in. General manager James Gladstone came up in the Rams’ “F--- them picks” era, and he’s brought that same appetite for bold swings to the Jaguars.
He traded multiple picks, including a first-rounder, to move up and draft Travis Hunter, and now he’s sent both of Jacksonville’s first- and second-round picks in the 2027 draft on Monday to bring in Bates and Davis.
That kind of move always comes with risk, and this one is no different. The Jaguars have already gotten one payoff from Gladstone’s wheeling and dealing in the Jakobi Meyers trade, but Davis is now the priciest of those bets.
He hasn’t been consistent this season, even after the Eagles signed him to a three-year, $78 million extension this summer. Still, there’s real upside here.
Last season, Davis was sixth among all defensive tackles in run stop win rate, and while he isn’t Jeffery Simmons, he’s a strong player who could make an already stout Jacksonville defense even better.
On Philadelphia’s side, the move fits the direction of a team that started 2-7 and had been viewed as a possible seller. Howie Roseman is once again making a deadline splash, this time by shipping out one of the Eagles’ stars.
The team just extended Davis, but the bigger picture matters here. Breer reported earlier Monday that Philadelphia has been reluctant to move on from Moro Ojomo, who is due for an extension this offseason, and the Eagles also have significant money tied up in Jalen Carter, whom they plan to keep.
So while Davis is out, the Eagles are gaining something they clearly value: draft capital and flexibility. The deal gives them more ammunition for the future and opens up cap space to help extend Ojomo.
In Other News...
Seahawks Just Added A Big Name To Fix Their Run Game
The trade market has become one of the more active parts of the NFL calendar in 2024, and Jacksonville has already been part of the movement. The Jaguars have added defensive help through deals for Jordan Davis, Jessie Bates III and Davon Godchaux, a clear sign that the front office has not been shy about trying to patch holes while the season is still in motion.
Around the league, the pace has only picked up as the deadline approaches, with 13 in-season trades already completed. Baltimore brought in Jacoby Brissett, Chicago landed Jeffery Simmons and Seattle addressed its own issues by getting guard Quenton Nelson, another reminder that teams are willing to pay for immediate help when they think a roster can still be pushed forward. For Jacksonville, the bigger question is whether its own early moves are enough, or whether the Jaguars will keep working the phones before the market closes. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Pass Rush Search May Not Be Over After Mondays Moves
The Jaguars spent Monday reshaping their roster with three trades, but their work on the pass rush may not be finished. Before those moves, Jacksonville reportedly made a significant offer for Jets defensive end Will McDonald IV, a sign the front office was still looking for another edge presence even as it addressed other needs elsewhere.
McDonald has been open about wanting a change of scenery after seeing reduced playing time, but New York has so far held firm. The Jets still believe in the former first-round picks talent and development, and with McDonald under contract through 2026 plus a fifth-year option for 2027, any pursuit would likely have to become more serious before this one moves any closer to the finish line. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Just Made A Jordan Davis Move Fans Need To Unpack
With the trade deadline approaching, the Jaguars have been busy trying to patch up a defense that has been hit by injuries and needed more help in both the secondary and the front seven. In a flurry of moves, Jacksonville added Jordan Davis, Davon Godchaux and Jessie Bates, sending draft picks to the Eagles, Saints and Falcons as part of a clear push to get sturdier on that side of the ball.
For a team trying to stay in the mix, the appeal is obvious: Davis brings size up front, Godchaux adds another body to the interior and Bates gives the back end a proven presence. The cost in picks shows how aggressively Jacksonville is treating this stretch of the season, and it also leaves the bigger question of how quickly all three can settle in and make the defense look more complete. [Read more 🡒]