The Jacksonville Jaguars were expected to improve under head coach Liam Coen, but not many analysts (with a few exceptions) would have predicted that they would 4-1 to start the season. But such is the position they find themselves in, and they're not stepping off the gas pedal anytime soon. Quite the opposite.
A couple days after their 31-28 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Jags traded Tyson Campbell to the Cleveland Browns in return for Greg Newsome. This deal served two purposes: They moved on from a player who didn't fit their defensive scheme and brought in reinforcements in the defensive backfield.
Following the trade, general manager James Gladstone hinted that Jacksonville may not be done making moves to upgrade the roster before the Nov. 4 deadline. With this in mind, here are players the team's brass can target to solidify their chances of making a deep playoff push.
Jaguars trade target: Jeffery Simmons, defensive tackle
The Jaguars are doing a great job of creating takeaways this season, registering a league-best 14 the past five games. That said, their interior pass rush could use a boost. Arik Armstead has been fine after switching back to his familiar defensive tackle spot, but Jacksonville isn't getting much production from DaVon Hamilton or Maason Smith. Jeffery Simmons could change that.
Granted, division trades aren't common, but if anyone can pull it off, it's James Gladstone. He traded wide receiver Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans in the offseason, so he's shown he can get it done. Sure, it was a different AFC South team, but it doesn't hurt Jacksonville to reach out to general manager Mike Borgonzi to inquire about Simmons.
After all, Borgonzi is overseeing a rebuild and may want to bring in his guys. He inherited Simmons and could flip him for the right price. Heck, the Pro Bowl defensive tackle may want a fresh start after experiencing so many regime changes the past few years.
Simmons, a first-round pick in 2019, has logged 35 sacks and six forced fumbles in his career. That's the kind of production the Jaguars could use at defensive tackle. Couple that with the fact that they have three picks in Round 3 next year, and Gladstone could put together a trade package appealing enough for Tennessee to ship the Mississippi State product to Duval.
Jaguars trade target: David Njoku, tight end
The Jaguars just placed Brenton Strange on Injured Reserve after suffering a hip injury. The good news is that the third-year tight end will only miss around five weeks, so he'll return at some point in 2025. In the meantime, though, Jacksonville will his his pass-catching skills and his feisty blocking chops. Enter David Njoku.
Even though Njoku isn't nearly as good a blocker as Strange, he would be a great addition to Trevor Lawrence's arsenal. The former first-round selection has averaged 60 receptions and five touchdowns the past five seasons. He would most definitely give the Jacksonville offense a boost while paving the way for rookie Harold Fannin to get more playing time in Cleveland.
When you take into account that the Jags just made a deal with the Browns, they may be willing to get on the negotiation table again.
Jaguars trade target: Bradley Chubb, pass rusher
The Jaguars have a dynamic pass rush tandem in Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. However, the latter is dealing with a wrist injury, so the team's brass needs to consider bringing in reinforcements to lessen his workload while he fully recovers. It's true that Emmanuel Ogbah and Dawuane Smoot are in the mix, but Bradley Chubb could be of help.
The Miami Dolphins aren't doing great this season, and probably won't accomplish much. This is why they may be willing to listen to offers. Chubb is coming off an ACL injury but is back at full strength. He's already tallied four sacks this season and isn't showing signs of slowing down. When you take into account that he doesn't have any guarantees left on his deal after 2025, he could be an appealing one-year rental for the Jags.
Jaguars trade target: Rashid Shaheed, wide receiver
Like most teams on this list, the New Orleans Saints aren't off to a great start to 2025, so they may be sellers ahead of the trade deadline. One player who should be on Jacksonville's radar is Rashid Shaheed.
Undrafted in 2022, Shaheed has lowkey been a steady contributor in the Big Easy. Although he missed time due to a knee injury last season, he hauled in 46 receptions for 719 yards with five touchdowns.
Shaheed is entering a contract year, so he'll be incentivized to prove that he deserves a big payday. And although the Jaguars already have Brian Thomas Jr., Dyami Brown, Parker Washington, and Travis Hunter, Shaheed would round out the Jaguars' wide receiver corps.