The Jacksonville Jaguars continued their disappointing season after losing to the Las Vegas Raiders 19-14 in Week 16.
Just a year ago the Jaguars were 8-7 and looking for their second straight postseason appearance. The Jags missed the postseason in 2023, but there were high hopes for 2024 in Duval County.
But now the Jags sit at 3-12 and hold the third pick in the NFL draft, but could this tough loss to the Raiders be a silver lining?
The 2025 NFL Draft
As it currently sits the Jaguars are one of two teams that sit in the top five and don’t need a quarterback. This offseason the Jaguars signed Trevor Lawrence to a five-year $275 million deal. The other team is the New England Patriots, who drafted Drake Maye third overall in the most recent draft.
After Week 16 the Patriots have the second overall pick, and the New York Giants hold the first overall pick. The only two teams ahead of Jacksonville. The Giants will surely pick either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders first overall. And the Patriots will likely have their sights set on Heisman winner Travis Hunter with the second pick.
So with Travis Hunter off the table and a a quarterback secured through 2030 that Jags could leverage their loss to the Raiders into a trade.
Vegas Needs a Passer
After breaking their ten-game losing streak on Sunday the Raiders now hold the sixth pick in the 2025 draft. Unfortunately for them the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans sit above them, both teams that desperately need a new quarterback. The Raiders have be very clear that they want a new quarterback too.
After releasing Derek Carr in February of 2023 the Raiders have tried many different options at quarterback. Jimmy Garoppolo, Aidan O’Connell, Gardner Minshew, and Desmond Ridder are all quarterbacks that have started in the past two seasons in Las Vegas. Now in the midst of a 3-12 season the Raiders are in the rookie QB market.
There is a clear cut top-two of quarterbacks in this draft, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. After that the 2025 Draft class gets murky at QB. Jalen Milroe, Dillon Gabriel, and Carson Beck are all seen as day two picks. So in order to ensure they get Ward or Sanders the Raidres will need to make a move to jump Cleveland and Tennessee.
Proposed Trade
Las Vegas Raiders Receive:
- 3rd Overall Pick
- Jaguar’s Fourth Round Pick
Jacksonville Jaguars Receive:
- 6th Overall Pick
- Raider’s Second Round Pick
- Raider’s 2026 First Round Pick
- Jakobi Meyers
This is a trade package that is similar to the haul the Carolina Panthers used to trade up to the first overall pick in 2023. That haul included the 9h overall pick, a 2023 second round pick, a 2024 first round pick, a 2025 second round pick, and DJ Moore. Obviously this deal was bigger than the proposed deal, but that was to move from nine to one, this is to move from six to three. But this is a deal both sides would accept.
Essentially the Raider’s are just giving up a 28-year old receiver, this year’s second round pick, and next year’s first for your franchise quarterback. In return the Jags get a veteran receiver and a stockpile of high draft picks to accelerate the rebuild with a new head coach.
The Jacksonville Jaguar’s Outlook
When Jacksonville fans look back in a few years, the may think fondly of this loss. In 2025 Jacksonville will have a new head coach, a healthy Trevor Lawrence, and a decent amount of cap space. That combined with the draft capital they’ll have over the next two seasons, the Jaguars might be on the rise. And in a division where Houston has a lot of holes, and the Colts are still average, Jacksonville could reclaim the division in the near future.
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