Jaguars rumors: Could Pro Bowl DE Danielle Hunter land in Jacksonville via trade?

The Jacksonville Jaguars took a step towards upgrading their pass rush when they brought back defensive end Dawuane Smoot on a one-year deal. However, they could do more to ensure excel at getting after the quarterback in 2023.

Inking veteran outside linebacker Justin Houston is one option. Similarly, the Jags could give the Minnesota Vikings a call and inquire about the availability of defensive end Danielle Hunter, who might not be opposed to wearing the Black and Teal if his Instagram follows is an indication.

Your preferences on social media may or may not give a glimpse of your personality but it looks like Hunter is a fan of the Jaguars based on his IG follows. Right now, Jacksonville is the only NFL team he follows on the platform. While that isn't indicative that he'll be traded, it's interesting when you take into account that he grew up in Texas and played football at LSU, so there doesn't appear to be a direct connection between the two.

Hunter has been in a contract impasse with the Vikes and has consistently been brought up as a potential trade candidate in the last few months. In fact, he missed offseason workouts in his search for a salary bump. He ultimately showed up at training camp, so there's a chance he will play out his current contract.

A third-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Hunter has consistently been one of the most productive edge rushers in the league, appearing in 102 games with 73 starts and registering 71 sacks over the last seven seasons. On top of that, he's earned three Pro Bowl designations throughout his career.

There are no reports the Jaguars are interested in Danielle Hunter

While the Jaguars should be flattered Hunter follows them on social media, there's no indication, at least publicly, that they're interested in acquiring him. Also, it's uncertain what kind of compensation Minnesota would want if they're willing to trade him. A third-round pick seems like a reasonable price. Another option would be swapping players.

The Jags could offer K'Lavon Chaisson who's still on his rookie deal. This suggestion might seem a bit odd but it makes sense when you take into account that Minnesota would get the chance to unload Hunter's contract.

One potential roadblock to pulling off a trade is giving Hunter a new contract. Dawuane Smoot is set to count $4.8 million against the cap in 2023 and it's hard to tell if the team's brass would be willing to keep investing in the pass rush. Space shouldn't be an issue though, Jacksonville currently has $18 million, per Over The Cap, so there's enough room to fit Hunter.

In the end, this might turn out to be too much ado about nothing but there's no doubt Danielle Hunter would give the Jaguars' pass rush a boost and if they were to acquire him, he could wreak havoc alongside Josh Allen and Travon Walker, and how cool would that be?

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