With the 2026 NFL trade deadline approaching, ESPN’s Seth Walder revisited one of last year’s deadline deals and came away with a different view of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ move for wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Jacksonville sent 2026 fourth- and sixth-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders to land Meyers, and Walder’s grade on the deal moved up from a C+ at the time to a B+ one year later.
“Meyers has been a helpful player in his own right, recording 1.6 yards per route run since arriving in Jacksonville,” Walder wrote. “And Trevor Lawrence has also ranked seventh in QBR in the NFL in that span. That is no doubt a confluence of many factors, but having a reliable No. 2 receiver like Meyers is one of them.”
Meyers wasted little time making his presence felt in Jacksonville. His game fits neatly into the Coen offense, where he can move around before the snap and work the middle and intermediate areas of the field. He has also shown he’s willing to do the dirty work as a run blocker.
That role has helped create chances for teammates, while also giving Meyers plenty of opportunities as a dependable target. His production earned him an in-season contract extension.
He has kept delivering this season, catching 26 of 36 passes for 374 yards and two touchdowns. Of those 26 catches, 22 have gone for first downs.
“In retrospect, the fourth- and sixth-round picks they surrendered for Meyers were worth it for the Jaguars considering the team’s uptick in play,” Walder wrote. “I had considered him a rental prior to the trade, but Meyers signed an extension before the end of the season that was worth $20 million per year. So he isn’t a value going forward but is important to a 2026 Jaguars team that’s among the best in the AFC.”
Walder’s view of the Raiders’ side softened a bit as well. He originally gave Las Vegas an A- for the trade, and now has it at B+.
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