The Jacksonville Jaguars won 13 games and won the AFC South last season in part because they put together a well-rounded roster. However, many of their weaknesses were exposed in the loss to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. Among them was the pass rush.
While Travon Walker and Johs HInes-Allen give the Jags a talented pass-rush tandem, neither made game-altering plays against the Bills, which allowed quarterback Josh Allen to shred the Jacksonville secondary. Undrafted free agents Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II flashed potential in their rookie season.
However, the Jags cannot bank on either one to develop into game-wreckers and instead need to add immediate reinforcements to the pass rush this offseason. They would check off that box with this trade proposal.
The Jaguars must target Maxx Crosby if he lands on the trade block
Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports drew up a list of big-name trade candidates that could switch NFL teams during Super Bowl Weekend. He argues that Maxx Crosby could be available, noting that his relationship with the Las Vegas Raiders might have soured after being benched late in the 2025 even though he wanted to play.
"The Las Vegas Raiders are entering a new chapter with the likely addition of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick at the 2026 NFL Draft," Sullivan wrote. "The timeline doesn't exactly mesh with where Crosby is at this stage of his career, which could set up a possible trade. Moreover, Crosby's relationship with the franchise may be fractured a bit after he was shut down over the final two weeks despite his desire to keep playing."
Sullivan continued, "While that was under a previous coaching regime led by Pete Caroll, it's fair to wonder if that sour ending could spring a trade."
To trade for Crosby, Sullivan thinks a first and second would get a deal done. That's a fair price to pay when you take into account that The Condor has been one of the top pass rushers in the NFL since the Raiders drafted him in 2019. Since then, he's racked up 69.5 sacks, five Pro Bowl nods, and three Second-Team All-Pro designations. There's no doubt that he would immediately turbocharge the Jacksonville defensive front.
The issue is that the Jaguars don't have a first-round pick in 2026. Then again, there's a way they could get around it.
The Jaguars could trade Brian Thomas Jr. and a pick for Maxx Crosby
The Jaguars could most definitely take on Maxx Crosby's contract. He has a $30 million guarantee in 2026. After that, the veteran pass rusher has options of $28 million each of the following three years. The main hurdle would come in the compensation.
As noted before, the Jags gave up their first-round pick in 2026 when they traded up for Travis Hunter last year. That said, they have a huge trade chip in Brian Thomas Jr. The former LSU Tiger was somewhat underwhelming in 2025, hauling in just 48 receptions for 707 yards with two touchdowns. However, he hauled in 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns as a rookie. That could make him a hot commodity for teams in need of help at wide receiver.
Heck, clubs made inquiries about Thomas before the 2025 NFL trade deadline. Liam Coen made it clear that he wasn't going anywhere. He doubled down on his stance after the season ended, noting that the Walker, Louisiana native is 100 percent part of the team's plans.
If the Jaguars were to move on from Thomas Jr., they would need a first in return. Coincidentally, Las Vegas has a huge need at receiver, so it would be a logical trade destination for the 2024 first-round pick. That, or perhaps the Raiders would be willing to send Crosby to Jacksonville in exchange for Thomas and a second.
The trade would be a win-win situation; it would help both teams to address one of their top needs. You could make the case that the Raiders would benefit more because they would get a draft pick to bolster another position group. On the other hand, the Jaguars would fix a glaring weakness, even if it was a bit pricey.
Grade: B (because it wouldn't come cheap, but the Jaguars would address a massive need with one of the top pass rushers in the NFL).