The 2022 NFL Draft is in the books and the Jacksonville Jaguars have gotten mostly positive reviews for their picks. In fact, they’ve made several upgrades throughout the offseason and the roster looks in better shape than it did at this point last year.
But the downside of acquiring so many new players is that there might not be room for some that were on the team last season and instead of releasing him, the Jags could work the phones and see if other clubs are interested in trading for them. In particular, Jacksonville might be better off trading these five players after the conclusion of this year’s draft.
No. 1 player the Jaguars should try to trade: S Andrew Wingard.
Safety Andrew Wingard has been a mainstay of the Jaguars’ secondary for the last two years, appearing in 28 games with 19 starts and posting three interceptions and six pass deflections. Last season, he got to start over rookie Andre Cisco and only missed time when he landed on the COVID-19/Reserve list towards the end of the year.
After going undrafted free agent in 2019, Wingard signed with the Jags and steadily worked his way up the roster. He was tendered this year to ensure he remains in Jacksonville in 2022. However, the coaching staff needs to see what they have in Cisco, having displayed flashes last year. Moreover, they have Daniel Thomas on the roster and if necessary, they could move Rudy Ford back to safety.
Simply, the Jags can’t keep Cisco on the bench and they have more than enough depth at safety to move on from Wingard this offseason.
No. 2 player the Jaguars should try to trade: RT Jawaan Taylor.
Months before the 2022 draft, there was a realistic chance the Jaguars were going to take an offensive tackle with the first overall pick. However, the chances of that happening took a significant hit once they applied the franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson, who later signed a three-year deal worth $54 million.
With Robinson firmly entrenched as Trevor Lawrence’s blindside protector, the Jags took Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker at No. 1. However, there are still a few questions about their starting offensive line. Mostly, what does the coaching staff plan to do with sophomore Walker Little? The easy answer is to have him compete with incumbent right tackle Jawaan Taylor for a starting job.
Another alternative is to trade Taylor and let Walker get acclimated to the right tackle spot. After all, he’s never lined up on that side of the offensive line but he showed potential in the last two games of the 2021 season, giving up just one total pressure and no sacks. Meanwhile, Taylor led the team in penalties last year and hasn’t lived up to expectations since being drafted in the second round of the 2019 draft.
Taylor is entering a contract year and while there’s a chance he finally turns the corner, Little has plenty of upside and shouldn’t remain on the bench for much longer. Trading Taylor would allow Little to spend training camp making the transition to right tackle.
No. 3 player the Jaguars should try to trade: CB Tre Herndon.
The Jaguars re-signed cornerback Tre Herndon for the second consecutive year and it’s easy to see why. An undrafted free agent in 2018, the Vanderbilt product played special teams for most of his rookie season but went on to start 14 games in 2019. The following season, he also played all 16 games and made 12 starts, prompting the team to bring him back on a one-year deal.
Herndon was set to start at nickel in 2021 but hurt his MCL during the preseason and wasn’t fully healthy throughout the year, which forced safety Rudy Ford to take his spot in the lineup.
In spite of being hurt last season, the Jags gave Herndon another one-year deal but even if he’s fully healthy, he will no longer have a starting role as Darius Williams was brought in to line up in the slot. Making things more difficult for Herndon is the fact that the team’s brass just drafted Montaric Brown and Gregory Junior. While they’re both developmental prospects, either one could become a solid contributor.
Herndon isn’t a Pro Bowl player but he has starting experience and has lined up in the slot and the perimeter. Teams that need depth at cornerback could use him. Last year, the Jags traded Sidney Jones to the Seattle Seahawks before the start of the 2021 season even though they had given him a one-year deal a few months earlier. Herndon could find himself in the same situation.
No. 4 player the Jaguars should try to trade: LB K’Lavon Chaisson.
Even though Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars’ offense have gotten most of the headlines this offseason, the defense shouldn’t go unnoticed. After all, general manager Trent Baalke has spent the offseason making sure defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell has enough talent at his disposal to install his scheme.
There might be up to five new starters on the Jaguars’ defense on Day 1, including defensive lineman Travon Walker, who probably start opposite outside linebacker Josh Allen. On the other hand, the additions Baalke has made to the group may make third-year edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson a victim of the numbers game. The former LSU Tiger has failed to live up to expectations over the last two seasons, posting just two sacks and 13 quarterback hits despite the fact that he’s been mostly healthy.
But even if you want to give Chaisson playing time, where would you plug him in? The Jags signed former San Franciso 49ers defensive end Ardey Key in free agency and he should play an important role in the Jags’ defensive line rotation. Also, Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd will tentatively start at middle linebacker, leaving no room for Chaisson.
The fact that Chaisson has switched positions over the last two seasons hasn’t done him any favors but there’s still a chance he could turn the corner. However, he might need to do it with another team, as he will have a hard time standing out in Jacksonville. Chaisson is projected to make the roster in a post-draft prediction but it wouldn’t be shocking if he ultimately doesn’t make the cut, or if he’s traded.
No. 5 player the Jaguars should try to trade: WR Marvin Jones
The Jaguars didn’t use a single draft pick on a wide receiver but that might have been by design, having acquired Christian Kirk and Zay Jones in free agency. Moreover, they brought back former first-round selection Laquon Treadwell after he became one of their top targets toward the end of the 2021 season.
So even though the Jags’ only addition to their wide receiver room was undrafted free agent Kevin Austin Jr., they have a crowded group, and not all of them may not make the final cut. Laviska Shenault was reportedly on the trade block earlier this offseason but he could bounce back after having a down year in 2021. Moreover, he could get another chance due to the arrival of a new coaching staff, one that may not be ready to give up on him just yet.
Kirk and Jones are good bets to make the roster, and so is Treadwell, who signed an affordable deal worth slightly over $1 million. Meanwhile, veteran Marvin Jones is set to have a cap number of $8.7 million. Trading him would create $5.2 million in dead money but it would also free up $3.5 million in cap space.
Keep in mind that Jones led the Jaguars in receptions (73), yards (832), and receiving touchdowns last season (four). Moreover, his veteran leadership is invaluable but if they want to give playing time to some of their younger receivers, trading him might be in their best interest.