Jacksonville Jaguars bolster their pass-rush with Za'Darius Smith: 3 trade proposals

Jacksonville Jaguars trade No. 2 for OLB Za'Darius Smith: Chad Muma

General manager Trent Baalke showed in last year's draft that he's not afraid to double dip at a position if he thinks the value is there. After trading back into the first round and taking Devin Lloyd with the 27th overall selection, the Jags took Chad Muma in the third round.

Although this move seemed odd at the time, especially after giving Foyesade Oluokun a top-market contract in free agency, it ended up solidifying the Jaguars' linebacker corps. Lloyd went on to miss a significant portion of training camp with a hamstring injury but he was the Week 1 starter next to Oluokun. However, he eventually hit a rookie wall and Muma stepped into his place and fared well.

The team's brass is still high on Lloyd and a full offseason should help him hit his stride. Oluokun is set to start at the other linebacker spot in 2023 and Shaquille Quarterman is ready to step up if called upon, so the Jags could move on from Muma and still have a well-rounded linebacker corps.

The Vikes cut ties with veteran Eric Hendricks earlier this year in a cost-saving move and now need to fill the void left by his release. Jordan Hicks started all 17 games last season and offers stability at one linebacker spot. However, Brian Asamoah, a third-round pick in last year's draft, hasn't done enough to make the Vikings' brass think he's ready to step into a bigger role. Muma could come in and compete for a starting job next to Hicks.