NFL Trade Deadline: Jaguars Acquire Vikings LG Ezra Cleveland

The Jaguars have made their trade deadline move, trading a 6th-round pick for Vikings LG Ezra Cleveland.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have made their trade deadline splash, trading a sixth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for left guard Ezra Cleveland.

It is unclear if the Jaguars traded their own sixth-round pick or if it is the pick that belongs to the Carolina Panthers. 

The Jaguars have started three different left guards this season: Ben Bartch for the first three games, Tyler Shatley in Week 4, Walker Little in Week 5, and then Shatley for the last three games after Little sustained a knee injury in Week 5 vs. the Buffalo Bills.

The Jaguars have struggled to run the ball consistently in 2023, ranking in the bottom-5 in both rushing EPA and rushing success rate despite a career season thus far from Travis Etienne.

Cleveland, 25, was a second-round selection out of Boise State in 2020 and has appeared in 54 career games for the Vikings, starting 40. He has started most of his games at left guard, but did spend his rookie season at right guard.

Cleveland has started and appeared in six games this season, all at left guard. His rookie deal is set to expire at the end of the 2023 season. He has a connection with Jaguars offensive line coach Phil Rauscher, too, as Rauscher coached the Vikings offensive line in 2020 and 2021. 

For a Jaguars' offensive line that has struggled at times up the middle, the expectation should be for Cleveland to start at left guard sometime after the Jaguars' Week 9 bye week.