The NFL trade market has taken off fast, and the Jaguars are in a spot where it would make sense to jump in. Jacksonville has already shown under James Gladstone that it’s willing to make real moves, not just nibble around the edges. Since he took over, Gladstone has completed nine non-draft day trades involving players, and that includes the Jakobi Meyers deal at last year’s deadline that gave the offense an immediate lift.
That history matters now. The Jaguars have been aggressive, and with the AFC looking wide open, there’s a clear argument for taking another swing. If they do, defensive tackle should be at the center of the conversation.
One possibility is Daron Payne. Any deal there would probably need to involve picks, with the Jaguars perhaps sending a seventh-round pick and getting a fourth-round selection back.
Payne would obviously carry far more value in a pure player-for-picks trade, but the appeal for Jacksonville is obvious. He’s 29, still in his prime, and can disrupt both the run and the pass.
The catch is that he’s under contract for only 11 more games.
That makes him a rental, and rentals are never simple. Even so, there’s a path where the Jaguars could view Payne the way they viewed Meyers: as a proven veteran who can make an immediate impact and then sign elsewhere soon after, potentially leading to compensatory draft-pick value down the line. With several interior defensive line contracts set to expire, Jacksonville has reason to think about the short term and the bigger picture at the same time.
If the Jaguars were to move Travon Thomas, they’d need a return that feels worthwhile. Payne would fit that bill. He could strengthen the defense without disrupting the offense in a major way, and while this wouldn’t be as explosive as a Jeffery Simmons deal, the effect could still ripple through the whole unit.
Another name that fits the Jaguars’ search is Jordan Davis Ojomo. As SI's Albert Breer noted, "The Giants and Jaguars are sniffing around on defensive tackles-Jacksonville’s looking for pieces for its defensive front in general." That lines up with what Jacksonville needs right now: a jolt inside in the short term, and a long-term answer in the middle of the defensive line.
Ojomo checks a lot of boxes. He has been disruptive against the run and the pass, he is still improving, and he fits the scheme well.
At 25, he also comes with more runway than Payne. The question is the contract year.
If the Eagles keep him, their options are basically to pay him big money and risk having the most expensive defensive tackle room in NFL history, or let him leave and likely pick up a future third-round compensatory pick, depending on how the rest of their offseason unfolds. It’s the same general track that played out with Milton Williams, and Ojomo could end up cashing in in a similar way.
From Jacksonville’s side, a third-round pick feels like the kind of price tag they’d have to consider. It’s not cheap, but if they believe Ojomo can meaningfully raise the level of the defense, he’s worth the swing.
Then there’s Budda Baker, who might be the easiest fit to understand. The Jaguars have been battered at safety. Their top three safeties were available for only the first three games of the season, and since then the position has been hit even harder: Eric Murray has missed time, Antonio Johnson is banged-up, and Caleb Ransaw is on injured reserve.
Baker would solve a real problem. He’s been one of the league’s most dependable safeties for the last decade, and at 30, he still brings the kind of production and reliability that can stabilize a secondary. He also spent time around James Gladstone and Liam Coen in Los Angeles, where he played the Rams twice a year, so there’s already familiarity there.
The Cardinals aren’t headed anywhere over the next season-and-a-half while Baker remains under contract, which only adds to the logic for a move. For Jacksonville, he would also open the door to leaning into three-safety looks once Johnson is healthy. A group of Johnson, Murray, and Baker would give the Jaguars a real answer at safety as they try to push through the AFC South race.
In Other News...
Colts Suddenly Have A Jonathan Taylor Question Before Jaguars Showdown
Jonathan Taylors status has become one of the more interesting subplots heading into the Colts matchup with the Jaguars, even if the running back tried to tamp down the noise this week. Taylor said he has not asked for a trade and has already spoken with Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon about his role, a sign that the conversation around him has moved beyond speculation and into the realm of organizational concern. For Indianapolis, the timing matters because the team has already moved on from other key pieces, leaving Taylor as one of the most prominent players still attached to a roster in transition.
Taylor has made it clear he takes pride in playing for the Colts and is focused on getting ready for Jacksonville, which is the part that should matter most to the locker room in the short term. Still, with the trade deadline looming and his future in Indianapolis not exactly settled, the situation adds a layer of intrigue to a game the Jaguars are watching closely. When a player of Taylors caliber is at the center of that kind of uncertainty, it tends to follow him right up to kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Thomas Jr. Is Suddenly At Center Of A Jaguars Trade Idea
Brian Thomas Jr. has done enough in a short time to make him a real part of the Jaguars long-term picture, which is why it was notable to see his name pop up in a hypothetical trade proposal this week. Fox Sports analyst Steven Ruiz and ESPNs Ben Solak floated a deal between Jacksonville and Kansas City that would swap wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Xavier Worthy, a scenario built more around fit and roster needs than any actual transaction.
For Jacksonville, the idea lands in an interesting place because Thomas represents the kind of big-play talent the Jaguars can envision building around, while Worthy brings a different profile and contract dynamic. It is purely speculative for now, with no official trade announced by either team, but it is the sort of discussion that tends to follow a young receiver who has already made himself central to the Jaguars future plans. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face One Big Question In A Suddenly Lopsided Colts Matchup
After two games in London, the Jaguars are back at home for a division matchup that suddenly looks a lot less even on paper. Indianapolis comes in having lost three straight, and the shift has shown up in the betting market as well, with the Jaguars now favored in a game that looked far more competitive not long ago.
The Colts still have plenty to sort through, from the noise around Jonathan Taylor to an offense that has not found much rhythm during the skid. For Jacksonville, the broader question is how much home-field comfort and a strong start in front of their own crowd can translate into a chance to push deeper into the AFC South race. [Read more 🡒]