Coming into the 2023 season, the pass rush was the Jaguars’ biggest weakness. Rather than address the pass rush in the draft or free agency, the team’s front office chose to roll the dice with who was already there. After seven games, the pass rush is even more of a weakness than anyone predicted. Josh Allen has seven sacks in seven games, but the rest of the team has combined for six sacks. Those 13 combined sacks are worse than all but four teams: the Rams, Giants, Texans, and Bears. Those four teams are a combined 10-17 and none of them have a winning record. The bottom line is that the Jaguars need help getting to the quarterback. The following includes some of the Jaguars trade rumors as the trade deadline looms near.
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Jaguars Top 3 Needs: Pass Rush, Pass Rush, and Pass Rush
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a good football team. They are 5-2 and winners of four straight. They are not, however, a great football team. While they have a few weaknesses, the one glaring weakness is the defense’s inability to get to the quarterback. Former No. 1 overall pick in 2022, Travon Walker, was drafted to team up with Josh Allen as the edge rushers of the future. He has shown little to no ability to get to the quarterback.
Some experts and pundits will argue that Jacksonville needs another interior lineman like Mike Onwenu of the Patriots. Others will say that, because the team gives up more than 270 passing yards per game, the team needs to go after a cornerback like Patrick Surtain of the Broncos. Those “experts” would be wrong. The one thing that sets the elite AFC teams apart from the Jaguars is their ability to pressure and sack the quarterback. The best teams in the AFC right now are the Dolphins (5), Chiefs (11), Bengals (8), and Bills (4). The number next to each team name is where they rank in the NFL in terms of sacks per game. The Jaguars come in at number 25.
These are the top four players that the Jaguars should try to trade for before the October 31 trade deadline. Each of these players are rush ends and could make a huge impact on the Jaguars’ defense. These players are listed in order of who the Jaguars should target first, though reports are coming in that Danielle Hunter may be the team’s first choice.
Chase Young
Chase Young is the player that the Jaguars should pursue in a trade. He will be a free agent at the end of the season, but his torn ACLs will make him less expensive than any of the other players on this list. He only has 14 total sacks in a 3.5-year career, but he has flashed a lot of talent. In his one full season, as a rookie, Young had 7.5 sacks. This year he already has five sacks and is getting into the backfield quickly and consistently. At only 24 years of age, Young can be a force for years to come. He has been an injury risk in his career so far, but that does not mean he will be moving forward.
Brian Burns
Brian Burns had 12.5 sacks last year and is currently playing in the final year of his rookie contract. At 25 years of age and one of the better edge rushers in the game already, Burns will make a lot of money in the offseason. He also has a lot of football left in him and could be the cornerstone opposite of Josh Allen for years to come…if the salary cap works. A trade seems somewhat unlikely right now, but with the Panthers still winless, Burns could be expendable.
Danielle Hunter
Hunter is leading the NFL in sacks in 2023 with nine through just seven games. Following a 2022 season in which he finished with 11.5 sacks, he will almost assuredly finish the season with double-digit sacks for the fifth time in his career. If the Jaguars want a “1-and-done” edge rusher to push them deep into the playoffs, Hunter is probably the guy. At almost 29, however, his long-term effectiveness is more than a question mark. He is playing on a one-year deal worth $20 million and will look for more money in the offseason. The other problem with Hunter is that the Vikings are not that bad, and they are not out of contention for the playoffs. They are 3-4 and in second place in the NFC North.
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