The Jacksonville Jaguars need to bolster the interior defensive line. This is why nobody probably batted an eye when they were connected to Dexter Lawrence following his trade request.
See, Lawrence has been looking for a pay bump, but the New York Giants haven't given him a deal despite the fact that he's one of their defensive cornerstones. That's led him to request a trade.
Not long after the news broke that Lawrence wanted to be traded, Easter Butler of Packer Report posted on Twitter that the Jags are one of several teams that have reached out to New York to inquire about his availability. And around the same time, Jordan Raanan of ESPN revealed the price to potentially land the three-time Pro Bowl nod.
The Jaguars could trade for Dexter Lawrence for a 1st or 2nd-round pick
Jordan Raanan reports that a first-round pick or a second-round selection may be enough to trade for Dexter Lawrence. Since the Jaguars don't have a first-round selection in 2026 after trading for two-way star Travis Hunter last year, the best it could offer would be the 56th overall selection.
That said, Jacksonville could sweeten the deal with a Day 3 pick or even include one of their three third-round picks in case Lawrence garners plenty of trade interest. Either way, the Jags have the draft ammo to outbid other potential suitors despite the lack of a first-round selection.
Another possibility would be to ship wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. to New York. It's been reported that the G-Men have previously shown interest in the 2024 first-round pick, so he could be part of a package to get Lawrence.
But circling back to Raanan's reported price, let's say the Giants are willing to take a second in exchange for Lawrence. Why wouldn't they want more? The reasons are simple. First, he's coming off an underwhelming season, and more importantly, he wants to get a substantial raise.
The former Clemson Tiger is set to make $20 milllion in 2026, but he wants more than $25 million. If a team ends up trading for him, it will need to meet his salary demands.
Would it make sense for the Jaguars to give up a 2nd-round pick for Dexter Lawrence?
Yes, but they would need to make sure that Dexter Lawrence is the player that he was before 2025, when he terrorized opposing offensive linemen. And that's the thing, the Jags probably wouldn't give him an extension right off the bat. Instead, they would let the 2019 first-round pick show that last year was just an outlier.
Back when the Jags traded for Jakobi Meyers in 2025. He also wanted a deal, but they didn't give it to him right away. They first wanted him to prove he deserved to get paid before they gave him a three-year, $60 million extension. The team's brass could do something similar with Lawrence.
The downside of trading for Lawrence, even when you take the compensation into account, is that it would make it more difficult to re-sign wide receiver Parker Washington and tight end Brenton Strange. Both are entering contract years, and vice president of football operations Tony Boselli has stated that the organization has begun contract talks with them.
Nevertheless, Dexter Lawrence would immediately address the Jaguars' biggest need, and a second-round pick may be just what's needed to get a deal done. That price may prompt general manager James Gladstone to act fast.