Jacksonville Jaguars: Showing interest in TE Hayden Hurst

The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly interested in a possible trade involving tight end Hayden Hurst of the Baltimore Ravens.

If the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to have a new tight end on their roster to start the 2020 season, it might come via trade before anything is done in free agency or the NFL Draft.

Several reports, which include the Florida Times-Union here in Jacksonville suggest the team may be open to dealing with the Baltimore Ravens for Hayden Hurst, a local kid who played high school ball at The Bolles School. Hurst, a 2018 first-round pick of the Ravens, was a target of the Jaguars but he was taken a few spots ahead of his hometown team.

The Jaguars took defensive tackle Taven Bryan out of Florida instead – a player the coaching staff is still waiting to develop into a solid defensive run stopper.

"Per CBS Sports, “The Florida Times-Union’s Eugene Frenette reported Monday that the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars are exploring pre-draft deals for Hurst, who “wants (the) opportunity to catch more passes.”"

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Hurst hasn’t panned out like the Ravens had hoped and maybe a change of scenery would be good for Hurst, who immediately bolsters the Jaguars’ tight end room. Their top three at the position – James O’Shaughnessy, Geoff Swaim, and Josh Oliver all spent considerable time on the injured reserve list with various ailments.

The Ravens have done well to stock their tight end position with players who have helped contribute to the team’s offensive resurgence by quarterback Lamar Jackson’s lead. Hurst wants to remain a viable option in an offensive game plan and wants to contribute more on the field.

"“The Ravens deploy multiple TEs regularly as part of their run-first offense, but Hurst trailed both Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle in targets and catches during quarterback Lamar Jackson’s breakout MVP campaign, making him something like the fifth option in the passing game,” Cody Benjamin writes.“Hurst, of course, has also been lauded for his run-blocking abilities, but there isn’t necessarily a clear lane for him to up his 2019 numbers (30 catches, 349 yards) in the near future.”"

This is not the first time Hurst’s name has come up in the last six months as he was mentioned as a possible part of a deal that would have included former Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey. That deal also included multiple draft picks.

Hurst was a 2017 ALL-SEC performer for the South Carolina Gamecocks before entering the NFL Draft. He caught 44 passes his final season in Columbia.

Of potential teams willing to make a deal for Hurst, the Jaguars might be the most obvious choice.

"“Jacksonville, of course, is also strapped for cash, but they’ve got some salary-saving moves on the way, and they’ll want to ensure whoever is under center — likely Gardner Minshew — has more weapons,” Benjamin writes."

The one thing that has not been discussed is what kind of compensation the Ravens would want for Hayden in return. The Jaguars own two first-round picks in 2020 and 2021. It is unlikely for them to part with any of those selections.

Draft capital is something the front office will use to help rebuild the team after two losing seasons.