2025 NFL Draft: Should the Jaguars Trade Up?

Should the Jacksonville Jaguars trade up in next month's NFL Draft?

Dec 21, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter (11) reacts after sacking Southern Methodist Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) during the third quarter in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The last time the Jacksonville Jaguars made a trade up on Day 1 of the draft, they selected Devin Lloyd in 2022. Should they make another bold move this April to rival that one?

The Jaguars are sitting in a good spot at No. 5, with the chances of them having the oppurtunity to take one of the draft's true blue-chip prospects rising by the day.

But what if the Jaguars want to truly make a big move and ensure they can take an elite talent such as Penn State's Abdul Carter or Colorado's Travis Hunter?

While there is always the outside chance Hunter or Carter could fall to No. 5, the overwhelming favorite of the draft's top prospect to be available at the pick is Michigan's Mason Graham. Never say never, but the Jaguars would need a couple of things to break their way to have a chance at Hunter or Carter.

As a result, the Jaguars' best chance to land Carter or Hunter might actually be in a trade up. But would it be worth it for the Jaguars to make the move?

In short ... no. Even though Carter and Hunter are truly elite prospects at valuable positions -- Hunter is my No. 1 player in the class -- it is hard to make an argument for moving up for most teams, but especially this Jaguars team.

Unless a team is moving up for a quarterback, it is hard to recoup to value a team normally loses in a trade-up in the first round. This is magnified even more so when you consider how much a trade in the top-5 would specifically cost.

The Jaguars have needs up and down the roster, and they are not one piece away from becoming a contender. Hunter and Carter would make the Jaguars a significantly better team, but the way the Jaguars improve is by adding more draft picks, not losing them.

The Jaguars' best path back to winning is by drafting and developing. Adding Carter or Hunter would certaily boost the Jaguars' roster, but it would come at a cost this Jaguars team can't afford.

If the Jaguars already had a playoff roster and just needed one more blue-chip player to get them over the hump, then maybe losing value in a draft trade would make sense. But that is not the case for this Jaguars team.

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