Coming off consecutive losses, the Jacksonville Jaguars will have a chance to regroup during their BYE. Aside from finding the root of their execution issues, they need to assess ther roster and look for potential upgrades at the NFL trade deadline. One group that could use reinforcements is the defensive front.
The Jags have struggled to bring the heat in recent weeks. One huge reason is that they lack a playmaker on the interior defensive line that can draw attention from opposing teams. Fortunately, there could be an intriguing option available on the trade block.
The Jaguars must inquire about Quinnen Williams at the NFL trade deadline
Spotrac put together a list of 60 trade candidates ahead of the November 4 deadline. Surprisingly, not a single Jaguar popped up. However, there are several options that Jacksonville could target to address immediate needs. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams should most definitely be on its radar.
The NY Jets have yet to win a game under new head coach Aaron Glenn this season. That could prompt them to hold a fire sale ahead of the deadline. Just recently, NFL Insider Jordan Schultz said that some of their players are being brought up as potential trade targets, noting that it's hard to tell who's part of the new regime's vision.
"There's an element of trying to figure out who are Glenn's guys and who aren't," A source told Schultz. "Remember when Detroit suddenly traded Hockerson? A building block from last regime is not going to be a guaranteed building block in this one."
Williams isn't among the players Schultz mentioned (his brother and former Jaguar is), but that doesn't mean the Jets won't listen to offers for him. Heck, they're 0-7 with him.
A first-round pick in 2019, Williams is one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. He's appeared in 93 games with 91 starts and registered 40 sacks in seven years. In that span, the former Alabama standout has made three Pro Bowls and earned a First-Team All-Pro designation. The Jaguars could most definitely use a player of that caliber at the line of scrimmage.
How Quinnen Williams could help the Jaguars
The Jaguars' pass rush win rate of 36 percent ranks 24th in the league. They've registered 131 total pressures, but their eight sacks are tied for the worst in the NFL. Granted, sacks aren't the only way to measure a team's ability to rattle opposing quarterbacks. However, they're not meaningless either. In the Jags' case, they're simply not bringing the heat often enough, regardless of the metric you use. That's where Quinnen Williams comes in.
Williams would give the Jacksonville defensive line an immediate boost. He ranks 20th in pass-rush win rate among interior defenders. Next to Arik Armstead, he would force opposing offenses to devote extra attention to the interior trenches. This, in turn, would present a more favorable matchup for bookend pass rushers Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. And with DaVon Hamilton stepping into a rotational role, the front four would be in great shape following the BYE.
Now, it would be a tad expensive to trade for Williams, but the Jaguars have the draft ammo to pull it off. They have three selections in the third round and nine overall on Day 3 of the draft. They could certainly put together an appealing package to make it happen. A third and a fifth would make sense. On top of that, general manager James Gladstone freed up cap space with a series of restructurings and would be able to make more space with further maneuvering.
The bottom line is that the Jaguars shouldn't rule out the idea of trading for Quinnen Williams, as he would immediately address one of their biggest needs.