The Jaguars don’t have to sit back and wait for the trade deadline to pass them by. They’ve shown before they’re willing to use it, and with clear needs on the edge, there’s reason to believe they should be active again this year as they try to set up a stronger second half and keep a playoff push on track.
One place to start is with the Chargers, who at 0-6 look increasingly likely to become sellers. If that happens, Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu both become names worth calling about.
Mack has already come up as a fit before, and he’s still producing with 3.0 sacks and a 13% pressure rate. Tuipulotu is the younger option, and he has two sacks with a 15.0% pressure rate, which would lead the Jaguars’ defensive line.
He would probably cost more than Mack, but he’s in a contract year and could be moved if the Chargers decide to start collecting picks for the rebuild.
If Jacksonville wants more of a pure speed rusher, Will McDonald IV looks like a logical swing. He appears to be slipping out of favor with the Jets, who have been comfortable giving other pass-rushers chances this season even though McDonald has put up nine pressures over the last three weeks. With New York trending toward seller status, he fits the profile of a player who could be available.
McDonald would make the most sense as a situational edge rusher for Jacksonville, which would also give the team more flexibility to move Travon Walker inside. Dennis Gardeck fills that role now, but McDonald has been more productive on a per-snap basis. His pressure totals are also well ahead of what Bryan Thomas Jr. and Danny Striggow have done this season.
Tampa Bay is another team that could be headed toward a sell-off. The Buccaneers are 1-5, and if they lean into a rebuild, even Day 3 picks could matter.
That puts Yaya Diaby in the conversation. He has 12 pressures this season, but he has been a productive pass-rusher in prior years, and he could become expendable with David Walker and Rueben Bain in place as the edge duo of the future.
Diaby is in his contract season, which only adds to the appeal. He could be available for a modest pick, and if he leaves in free agency, the Jaguars could even benefit later through a compensatory pick. Right now, he would simply be a stronger depth option than Danny Striggow and Bryan Thomas Jr.
And then there’s Josh Uche again. It’s the kind of name that keeps surfacing because it keeps making sense.
He’s already on his fourth team in four seasons, which says plenty about his profile as an edge defender, but the one thing he does well is exactly what Jacksonville needs: speed off the edge. He has been a steady pass-rusher throughout his career, and the Dolphins would likely not ask for much to move him.
Once again, Uche fits the deadline conversation.
In Other News...
Jaguars Are Offering Fans A Permanent Place At The New Stadium
A new part of the Jaguars stadium plans is aimed less at game days than at memory. The team is partnering with Eternal Fan on the 904Ever Club, a fan memorial that will sit outside the new stadium now scheduled to open before the 2028 NFL season, giving supporters a permanent place tied to the franchises future home.
The concept includes private and shared spaces where fans can store memorabilia, with membership tiers set at $904, $2,904 and $5,904. Eternal Fan will handle construction, operations and revenue for the memorial, while the Jaguars will collect fees for the use of their marks and stadium grounds, a reminder that this project is as much about business as it is about sentiment. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face One Bye Week Decision That Could Fix Their Secondary
The Jaguars have opened the season with plenty to feel good about, but the loss to Houston also put a familiar issue back in the spotlight: coverage in the secondary. For a team trying to stay on track, the back end has become the spot that can swing a game in a hurry, and it is the kind of problem a front office has to keep weighing as the season moves toward its next checkpoint.
One possible fix that has surfaced is a look at Arizona safety Budda Baker, a veteran with multiple Pro Bowl nods who would bring instant credibility to the defensive backfield. Whether Jacksonville can make a move, and whether Baker is the right fit, remains an open question, but the appeal is obvious if the Jaguars decide they need help sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Bye Week Puts One Crucial Roster Decision Under The Microscope
The Jaguars 4-2 start has bought them something every NFL team covets in mid-October: time. With the Week 7 bye here, Jacksonville can step back and sort through a defense that has been tested by injuries and uneven play in the secondary, while also taking a hard look at how to get Travis Hunter more involved on offense after he has flashed the kind of potential that makes him hard to ignore.
The same pause also gives the front office and coaching staff a chance to reassess the wide receiver rotation, where Brian Thomas Jr.s playing time has trailed off. Those conversations matter now because the bye week is one of the few windows to make meaningful adjustments before the trade deadline, and Jacksonville has a few roster questions that could shape the rest of its season. [Read more 🡒]