Heading into the trade deadline, speculation ramped up that the Jacksonville Jaguars were looking to add reinforcements at safety and defensive line. They took care of the former position when they acquired Jessie Bates III from the Atlanta Falcons. Just a few hours later, they addressed the latter with Davon Godchaux.
Given general manager James Gladstone's penchant for making deals to address the larger scale roster, it wasn't particularly shocking to see the Jags make either trade. What was uncertain was whom they were going to get. Now, we know.
While Jacksonville got a high score for the Bates trade, you may be wondering what kind of grade they got for Godchaux. With this in mind, here's a grade for him.
What are the Jaguars getting in Davon Godchaux
The Jaguars were in dire need of help on the interior defensive line after losing DaVon Hamilton to a season-ending injury. But even before that, they needed reinforcements at the position because they struggled to generate pressure.
Arik Armstead has flashed at times this season but hasn't truly been a game-wrecker. Albert Regis hasn't done much of note thus far, and Ruke Orhorhoro has been underwhelming since landing in Duval just before the draft.
The issue is that Godchaux doesn't offer much pass-rush juice —he has five career sacks since 2018 — and will instead help fill the void left by Hamilton's absence against the run. Moreover, Jacksonville didn't have to give up much in exchange for him.
All the Jags had to give up was a 2028 sixth-round pick to New Orleans, which could become a sixth-rounder in 2027 if they acquire one (they currently don't have one). On top of that, they won't have to take on a big cap charge.
Before the 2026 season started, the Saints restructured Godchaux's contract, turning most of his salary for the season into a base salary of $1.3 million. Given that the Jags traded for him on November 10, they're only on the hook for the remaining $650,000 of his salary for the year.
When you add it all up, it's fair to say that the Jaguars got a bargain for a player who fills an immediate need.
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Grade the trade: The Jags bolster their D-Line with Davon Godchaux
The truth is that Davon Godchaux is a solid player who can contribute from the get-go. However, you could make the case that the Jaguars should have taken an even bigger swing to fortify the interior defensive line. After all, they had been linked to Derrick Brown and Jalen Carter ahead of the deadline.
In Jacksonville's defense, it takes two to tango, and neither Brown nor Carter was seemingly available. Nevertheless, James Gladstone kept working the phones and found the best possible deal.
Simply put, the effort was there, even if a blockbuster trade at defensive tackle didn't come to fruition.
Grade: B-
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