Report: Jaguars Explored Trade For Bengals OT Jonah Williams Before 2023 Draft
Following the news of an expected suspension of offensive tackle Cam Robinson earlier this offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars were in a quick search for a plan of action.
One of those solutions was a potential trade for disgruntled Bengals offensive tackle Jonah Williams, who requested a trade from the organization earlier in the off-season. According to Enquirer beat reporter Kelsey Conway, that wish was very close to becoming a reality, with the two franchises having talks prior to the draft and that there was significant interest from Jacksonville to get a deal done.
Williams is coming off a down campaign in 2022, commiting 4 penalties and allowing 12 sacks in 1,101 snaps played while finishing with an overall grade of 61.2 per Pro Football Focus.
Despite the off-year, Williams is still just 25-years-old and is in the last year of his rookie contract, providing a young option to bolster the depth along the offensive line. At worst if things were to not pan out, the Jags could’ve let him walk in the off-season with no penalty.
As fate would have it, no trade was ever finalized, with the Jaguars instead opting to select Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison with the 27th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, a selection that the organization was very eager for from the jump.
“It's the reason we took him in the first round. Everything about him: his skill set, how he fits, how he moves, the transition from right side to left side. His ability to not only pass block but come off the ball and have that mean streak in him as an offensive lineman in the run game. That's what you see with him. That's what we got excited about, obviously," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said during Harrison’s introductory press conference
"Coach Rauscher spent some time with him at the Pro Day, the Combine, different places. We felt very comfortable with him. I met him for the first time at the Combine. Had a really good 20-minute interview. It was something that for me, it raised the eyebrows that this is a special young man. It's the reason why we took him in the first round.”
