Back in 2019, the Jacksonville Jaguars made the decision to trade All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for two first-round selections and a 2021 fourth-round pick. Looking back, who won the deal?
Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire believes the Los Angeles team won the deal when you compare the players Jacksonville ended up with and Ramsey’s performance since being traded. He says that by focusing on the players that were directly involved in the trade, the Rams should be pleased about the deal, as the cornerback has made the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro in Los Angeles while the Jaguars came away with defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson, running back Travis Etienne and EDGE defender Jordan Smith.
When you take into consideration that Ramsey has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL while Chaisson struggled to make the transition to the pros in 2020, it’s hard to disagree with DaSilva, as the Jaguars have a trio of young players with potential but the Rams ended with an established player.
This is still time for the Jacksonville Jaguars selections to flourish.
NFL teams are constantly looking for ways to get additional first-round picks but keep in mind that they are only as valuable as the front office that uses them. You could have three selections in the first round but if you don’t acquire the right players, they aren’t of much use. Back when the Jaguars traded Ramsey the prospect of receiving two first-round selections (and the fourth-rounder) looked alluring but it was up to Jacksonville to take advantage of them. So far, the results are mixed and that shouldn’t be the case.
You should be able to get two high-end players with two first-round picks, not two “players with potential”. On the bright side, Chaisson has still time to turn into a dominant pass-rusher and Etienne is a dynamic dual-threat that should have a big impact on the Jaguars’ offense right out of the gate. Of course, if both Chaisson and Etienne don’t play up to the potential, trading Ramsey won’t have been the best move.
There is still time for Chaisson to become a difference-maker and Etienne could become an instant contributor for this Jacksonville team. In the meantime, it does look like the Rams got the better end of the deal.