The June 1 deadline couldn't have come faster for a couple of NFL teams. Specifically, the New England Patriots acquired A.J. Brown while the Los Angeles Rams landed All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett. On the other hand, the Jacksonville Jaguars were content to watch from the sidelines. That said, they could soon get busy.
The Jags could make a handful of post-June 1 moves, and nobody would bat an eye if they pulled the trigger. In fact, an NFL analyst is urging them to move one of their most prominent trade candidates.
The Jaguars are being urged to trade left tackle Walker Little
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report drew up a list of trade candidates for each NFL team after the June 1 deadline. He included Walker Little, arguing that the Jaguars could get a second or third-round pick in return for him.
"The Jaguars should dangle Walker on the trade block. With 39 career starts at a premium position, he could fetch a Day 2 pick," Moton wrote. "It's rare that a left tackle in his prime with that level of experience isn't in a lead role. At 27, Walker should be a big-ticket trade candidate."
One added benefit of trading Little is that Jacksonville would free up $11.9 million in cap space with dead money hits of $2.5 million and $4.6 million in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
While it's true that Little would garner interest if Jacksonville placed him on the trade block, he would be available, to begin with, because he struggled mightily last year. A second-round pick by the Jags in 2021, the former Stanford Cardinal flashed early in his career, but it wasn't until the Jags shipped Cam Robinson to the Minnesota Vikings that he became the starting left tackle full-time. Not long after, Jacksonville gave him a three-year deal worth $40.5 million.
Expected to build off his strong finish to 2024, Little instead regressed. He gave up a team-high nine sacks and 50 total pressures before he was benched in favor of Cole Van Lanen. The Houston, Texas native filled in for Patrick Mekari at right guard later in the year, but he didn't stand out.
Compounding the issue is that Jacksonville gave Van Lanen a three-year, $54 million extension in 2025, showing that they believe he's the answer at left tackle moving forward. Having said that, there's a reason the Jags may not entertain the thought of trading Little.
Why the Jaguars may not trade Walker Little
The prospect of getting a second or third-round pick could be too good to pass up. However, sticking with Walker Little for the remainder of 2026 makes sense when you take into account that Cole Van Lanen is recovering from a knee injury he suffered late in 2025.
The Jaguars haven't revealed just how serious the injury is, and there's a chance Van Lanen will be back for the opener against the Cleveland Browns. However, Little gives them valuable depth in case he isn't a full-go.
And that's the thing, nobody will deny that Little is coming off a disappointing season, but he's previously shown that he can play at a high level, so a bounce-back year shouldn't be ruled out. Of course, if Van Lanen returns or sophomore Wyatt Milum makes a strong impression in training camp, Little becomes a realistic possibility. Maybe a team like the Las Vegas Raiders or the Green Bay Packers would make sense, as both of them face questions at left tackle.
In the meantime, though, it's hard to see the Jaguars trading Walker Little. And if they eventually do, it will be because a team made him an offer they couldn't refuse.
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