Jaguars Send Five Draft Picks for Three Defenders in One Day, Including Jordan Davis From Eagles

The Jacksonville Jaguars spent Monday, Nov. 9, buying defense, one day before the NFL trade deadline. General manager James Gladstone made three trades and sent out five draft picks, including a first-round selection.

The headliner is Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis. Jacksonville sent Philadelphia a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick, and both teams announced the deal.

The three deals

Earlier in the day, the Jaguars acquired safety Jessie Bates III from the Atlanta Falcons for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder. Bates, a former Pro Bowler, is on a four-year contract that expires after this season.

Jacksonville also got defensive tackle Davon Godchaux from the New Orleans Saints for a 2028 sixth-round pick that could be elevated to a 2027 sixth.

Add it up: one first, two seconds, one fifth and one sixth.

Two injuries forced the shopping. Safety Eric Murray is out for the season, and nose tackle DaVon Hamilton was placed on injured reserve last week with a leg injury. Godchaux and Davis give defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile a new interior pairing.

"Jordan's impact on the field can be felt on every down," Gladstone said in a statement. "This is a well-rounded premier player and person. We're excited to add him to the team."

What Jacksonville bought

Davis is 26 and was the No. 12 overall pick in 2022. He has 31 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss and three QB hits in nine games this season.

His value is against the run. Next Gen Stats has his 23 run stops second among defensive tackles this year. Last season he had 63 run tackles and 50 run stops, both second among tackles.

Pro Football Focus gave him a 64.9 overall grade, 39th of 125 qualifying players, and a 68.8 run-defense grade, 17th at the position.

He is also expensive. The Eagles gave him a three-year, $78 million extension in March, with $65 million guaranteed. He was part of the Eagles team that won Super Bowl 59 over the Chiefs.

A contender with a thin spot

The Jaguars are 6-2, have won five of six and lead the AFC South. Their point differential of plus-108 is the league's best, according to Bleacher Nation's count.

Trevor Lawrence has 18 touchdown passes and a 111.7 passer rating, fifth-best in the league. Jacksonville has the fourth-ranked scoring offense and the second-ranked scoring defense. The weak spot is stopping strong running teams like the Buffalo Bills, a likely playoff opponent.

The Jaguars believe they have a shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Newsweek put the other side of that bet plainly: the organization "leveraged quite a bit of their future," and the pressure to contend for a Super Bowl is now "at an all-time high in Jacksonville."

The schedule helps. Jacksonville has one of the AFC's easier remaining slates, starting Sunday at Tennessee, which is 1-7.

Philadelphia tears it down

The Eagles lost 19-11 to the Giants on Sunday, their seventh straight loss. They are 2-7, the worst record in the NFC, and this is their longest losing streak since 2012.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts is expected to miss the rest of the season with blood clots. Joe Milton III started Sunday in place of Tanner McKee, and Philadelphia has lost four games without Hurts.

Davis is not the first big piece to go. Philadelphia previously traded A.J. Brown and Cam Jurgens, and tackle Lane Johnson retired.

The haul is substantial. The Eagles now hold two first-round picks in 2027, two in 2028 and two second-rounders in 2029.

In a statement, the Eagles thanked Davis "for his contributions to our team on the field and in the Philadelphia community since we drafted him five years ago." They credited him with helping build the team's culture, including "two Super Bowl appearances and a world championship in 2024."

The contract is the awkward part for Philadelphia. The Eagles also gave Jalen Carter $106 million guaranteed, and the Associated Press wrote that the team "hasn't gotten its money's worth" so far. General manager Howie Roseman was expected to be active before the deadline.

What comes next

The deadline arrives Tuesday, so more moves could land before the window closes. Jacksonville's next game is Sunday at Tennessee, where the new-look defense is due to take the field.