Jacksonville Jaguars were in the Chase Young sweepstakes until the very end

The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to face defensive end Chase Young when they welcome the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10. But if things have played out differently, he could be playing for them, not against them.

Insider Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report says both the Jags and the Baltimore Ravens were interested in trading for Young until the very end. However, both clubs were ultimately outbid by San Francisco, who offered a third-round selection.

Jeff Zebric of The Athletic had previously reported that Baltimore wanted to land Young at the deadline but it was previously unknown how serious the Jags were in their pursuit of the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year. Based on Schultz's scoop, it's clear Jacksonville also had legitimate interest but they weren't willing to pay a premium for him.

It was previously reported that the Jaguars were one of a handful of clubs that showed interest in acquiring Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns at the deadline. Before the start of the regular season, they also reached out to the Minnesota Vikings to inquire about defensive end Danielle Hunter.

The Jags looked for several ways to bolster their pass rush. They were looking into potentially going after Yannick Ngakoue before the 2023 NFL Draft but interest never ramped up. They later hosted Jadevon Clowney for a visit but he opted to join the Ravens. Jacksonville made an effort to trade for Hunter but Minnesota chose to keep him around.

The Jaguars could've been more aggressive in their pursuit of Chase Young

Chase Young is among the top pass rushers in the NFL right now, so you would think teams would be willing to give up a first-round selection for him. Instead, the best offer Washington got was a third-round pick by the Niners. Then again, that was more than the Jags were willing to offer, and that's the thing. They tried to bolster their pass rush several times over the last few months and all their attempts fell short.

At this point, it's fair to ask, have the Jags not been aggressive enough? Maybe but there's an equal chance they didn't think acquiring a pass rusher warranted parting ways with an early-round selection. Either way, Jacksonville will soon find out whether they should've made a bigger effort to land Young.

For one, they'll attest firsthand the kind of impact the former Ohio State Buckeye will have when they face him Sunday. Another way to assess whether they should've made a better offer than the Niners is if their pass rush fails to disrupt Bruck Purdy and the San Francisco passing game.

If bookend pass rushers Josh Allen and Travon Walker, along with Dawuane Smoot, can bring the heat, the Jags will then look smart for not overpaying for Young. The opposite is true though, and it could go either way. This could turn out to be one of the most intriguing plotlines to follow heading into the game.

Sometimes, it takes to time to know whether a move was good or bad for a team. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars are about to find out whether they should've been more aggressive in their pursuit of Chase Young.

Here are other recent Jaguars stories you may also enjoy: