The Jacksonville Jaguars were dealing with lots of injuries on the offseason line. Their depth was being tested, and with the regular season just a few weeks away, the team's decision-makers addressed the issue by trading for Daniel Faalele.
Heading into Week 2 of the preseason, insider Jordan Schultz broke the news that Jacksonville is trading for Faalele in return for a Day 3 pick.
The Jaguars could afford to make the deal because they had three extra compensatory selections after letting Greg Newsome, Devin Lloyd, and Travis Etienne walk in free agency. The team's brass could most definitely afford to use one of those selections to address the offensive line. And with Faalele now in the mix, Jacksonville gets much-needed depth up front.
Why the Jaguars traded for Daniel Faalele
The Jaguars began training camp without Patrick Mekari and Cole Van Lanen. The former missed training camp with a back injury and recently underwent surgery. His availability for the start of the season is in question. The latter is still recovering from a knee injury he sustained late in 2025 and could begin the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
Compounding the issue is that backup offensive lineman suffered an injury in Week 1 of the preseason and may be unavailable the remainder of training camp. Walker Little, on the other hand, got tangled in the mock game the Jags held. He's trending toward returning but isn't there yet.
With all these injuries, it made sense to trade for Daniel Faalele. He was a Round 4 pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2022. He bolted for the New York Giants in free agency, signing a $1.4 million deal to join head coach John Harbaugh in the Big Apple.
Daalele was behind Francis Mauigoa and Jon Runyan on the depth chart, so New York could afford to trade him.
Related: The Jags get an encouraging Walker Little update at the best possible time
The Jaguars must temper expectations for Daniel Faalale
The Giants traded Daniel Faalele because he was struggling to make an impact. Things won't change much in Duval. Then again, he offers much-needed experience on the offensive line. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher made 32 consecutive starts with Baltimore, so he could most definitely step in at right guard — the position he played with the Ravens — for the Jaguars right off the bat.
Last year, Faalele gave up four sacks and 30 total pressures. That's not great, but it isn't terrible. And when you take into account that Jacksonville was having trouble filling the right guard position, the veteran hog molly was a breath of fresh air.
The truth is that the Jaguars could no longer overlook their issues on the offensive line. Trading for Daniel Faalele certainly helps them immediately.
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