Jaguars Reinforce Defense for Deep Playoff Run
The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the most sound teams in the NFL ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, but it didn’t stop them from making some of the league’s biggest moves.
The Jaguars acquired defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Davon Godchaux via a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints, respectively, and also picked up safety Jessie Bates in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.
The trade for Davis sent a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick to the Eagles, while the Bates trade sent away the Jaguars’ 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round draft pick.
“This is about team building, and all three of the players that we traded for earlier this week, we feel very strongly will mesh with just how we move, our style of play and our culture by just simply leaning into who they are naturally,” general manager James Gladstone said Tuesday. “Expect that that’ll continue to elevate how we operate because I think it’s very true that good teams can be built in an offseason.
“But it’s important for the best teams to continue to evolve over the course of the regular season.”
Godchaux has the most experience of the recent acquisitions, splitting his time between the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Saints since entering the league in 2017.
With Jaguars defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton being ruled out for the season with a quad injury, Godchaux, along with Davis, will help the Jaguars fill the position.
“Have a ton of respect for him, and then the professionalism competing against him when I’m in Tampa against New Orleans,” coach Liam Coen said of Godchaux on Wednesday. “A team just rushed for a lot of yards on us, so we want to make sure that we end up going in and fortifying that group. Anytime you can bring a pro that’s been in a number of different places, that’s seen a lot of good football, that’s stout at the point of attack.
“He’s played in a very similar scheme to us, felt like it was a very natural fit.”
Meanwhile, Davis has spent his five-year career with the Eagles since being a first-round pick in 2022.
A 2024 Super Bowl champion and 2022 PFWA All-Rookie Team selection, Davis has shined with the Birds. He flashed in 2025, recording 72 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and 11.5 stuffs. Through nine games this year, he has posted 31 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and three stuffs.
“It’s a position that ages well, certainly look forward to seeing him integrate here in the early going, while at the same time knowing that it’s going to be a longer-term decision that we made with him,” Gladstone said. “And so, making sure that his development over these next few years is something we really think through and plan out.”
Meanwhile, Bates, another veteran, was the first trade of the day Monday. Bates spent the 2018-22 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before heading to the Falcons.
Bates is a former Pro-Bowler and a three-time second-team All-Pro. He has posted 60 total tackles, three forced fumbles and four passes defended this season
“I think you can see very quickly that Jesse is a match for all the elements that we appreciate in both a player and a person, and so would love to make sure that Jesse gets his chance to settle in and become a part of this year’s team, and then see what comes after it in an organic and natural way,” Gladstone said.
Many of the additions are not just talent acquisitions, but leadership acquisitions, something Coen noted as important to the team’s decision. Bates and Davis both held leadership roles within their teams, and each has experience on the biggest stage in football.
“Bates and Jordan, both respected captains at their organizations,” Coen said. “Unbelievable people from everything that we’ve heard in terms of the caliber of person, competitor. Bates has been to a Super Bowl. Jordan Davis has won a Super Bowl. So huge for us to be able to continue to add to our already talented roster.”
One of the anticipated moves that did not come to fruition was the exit of Brian Thomas Jr. The third-year wide receiver was the focal point of Jacksonville’s trade rumors, but when 4 p.m. hit, Thomas was still wearing teal.
Coen had expressed confidence in Thomas in the weeks coming up to the deadline, but many sources reported that the Jaguars would be open to trading him. However, while reports surfaced about teams inquiring about the receiver close to the deadline, the franchise was never reported to be fully open to a trade.
“The guy’s just done his job,” Coen said. “He comes to work every day and works his tail off. And him and Trevor are continuing to work together on it. And the time’s going to continue to come.”
Thomas will look to turn the season around after having zero-reception outings in three of his last four games, as Jacksonville (6-2) takes on the Tennessee Titans (1-7) on Sunday with a bolstered squad. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on Fox and a 12:30 p.m. coverage start on ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.
The three newcomers will put in the work this week to get ready for game time in a new system.
“There’s only so much time us as coaches can truly spend with them, getting them up to speed to go play this week,” Coen said. “They have to do a lot of work on their own. They have to be self-starters and driven and motivated, and it takes a village. It takes every single coach on board.”
Category: Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL
