Jaguars-Eagles Trade Grades: Jacksonville Is All In After Blockbuster Deal

After already trading for safety Jessie Bates III and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux on Monday, the Jaguars have made their biggest splash yet at the trade deadline by acquiring DT Jordan Davis from the Eagles.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Jaguars are sending a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-round selection to the Eagles for Davis. The deal marks the biggest blockbuster of this year’s midseason deadline outside of the Bears’ trade for Jeffery Simmons, which cost Chicago two first-round picks.

As Davis heads to Jacksonville, here is how each team fared in the trade.

Jaguars

The Jaguars already needed defensive tackle help—and that was before DaVon Hamilton went down with a season-ending injury. Hamilton’s loss made defensive tackle an even more pressing need that Jacksonville has now filled with the additions of Godchaux and Davis.

The trade for Davis, however, is more than the Jaguars simply filling a hole. Jacksonville is going all in as it looks to win a championship this season. Jaguars general manager James Gladstone previously worked with the Rams, who were famous for “F--- them picks” and trading their draft picks to bring in star players. Those trades paid off in 2021, when the Rams won their second Super Bowl title. Gladstone has similarly been unafraid to pull off such trades for star players. He traded multiple picks—incliuding a first-rounder—to move up and select Travis Hunter in his first draft, and has now dealt both of Jacksonville’s first- and second-round picks in the 2027 draft on Monday to acquire Bates and Davis.

This trade is a risky bet the Jaguars are taking. So far, the Jaguars have benefited from one of their trades under Gladstone: the Jakobi Meyers trade. The Davis trade is now their most expensive move, and it’s for a player who has not been consistent this season. The Eagles signed Davis to a three-year, $78 million extension this summer, but he has not played up to that level. Last season, Davis played really well, ranking sixth among all defensive tackles in run stop win rate. Across the league, the Bears have seen immediate gains from their acquisition of Simmons. Davis isn’t as good as Simmons, who is the best DT in the league, but he is still a strong player that could make the Jaguars’ already stout defense significantly better.

Grade: C+

Eagles

Once again, Eagles GM Howie Roseman is making a big move ahead of the trade deadline. This time, he’s sending one of Philadelphia’s stars to the Jaguars. There was buzz that the Eagles could be sellers at the deadline amid their 2–7 start. Now, they are moving off Davis.

While the Eagles recently signed Davis to an extension, this move makes sense, given where they are now. As Breer reported earlier on Monday, Philadelphia has been reluctant to move on from its other defensive tackle, Moro Ojomo, who is due for an extension this offseason. The Eagles have also invested significant money in star defensive tackle Jalen Carter, whom they plan to retain. By trading Davis, the Eagles gain significant draft capital to build for the future and create cap space to extend Ojomo.

Grade: A

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