The Jacksonville Jaguars cleaned house this offseason, and the new leadership brought youth and attitude. It began with owner Shad Kahn brought in a new, offensively-minded head coach in Liam Coen and a young, intense general manager with James "I've got rocks" Gladstone. Not long after, the Jags rounded out the group when they hired Hall of Famer Tony Boselli as the executive vice president of football operations.
Boselli, Coen, and Gladstone quickly showed they had the guts to back their "bold, aggressive" talk: they traded up in the 2025 NFL Draft and snatched wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter. And now, just hours after playing them, the team traded fourth-year veteran center Luke Fortner to the New Orleans Saints for two-time Super Bowl champion defensive tackle Khalen Saunders.
Not only does the seven-year veteran bring experience and strength to a middling D-Line, he seems genuinely likable, as well.
Wow🙏🏾 #DUUUUUVALLLLLLLLL
— Bink Saunders (@khalenNOTkaylen) August 18, 2025
Grateful. #WhoDat ⚜️🖤💛 pic.twitter.com/v0ei2w5bqk
— Bink Saunders (@khalenNOTkaylen) August 18, 2025
With that in mind, we'll outline some winners and losers in this trade.
Jaguars winner: General manager James "I've got rocks" Gladstone
James Gladstone is young, aggressive, and, according to Los Angeles Rams' head coach Sean McVay, "a great ability... to watch players." He's proved himself time and again, making the calls that most analysts and talking heads only speculate.
Trading the house for Hunter? Aggressive. Organizing a deal with the Saints even as the Jaguars are playing them in the preseason? Bold. The Jaguars seem to have found their guy. Now it's up to the players to win the games.
Jaguars loser: Defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson
Things were looking good for defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson. The second-year veteran is having a good camp, even earning the praise of Sports Illustrated's John Shipley: "I think...the most under-the-radar player to watch, a guy who isn't talked about very much at all, but could potentially play a decent-sized role and give the Jaguars some good snaps [is] second-year defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson."
Well, that "decent-sized role" may just have been downsized with the recent trade. Jefferson will likely still make the final 53 and have his chance to prove he belongs in the NFL, but Saunders' experience and pedigree might just push him a little more "under-the-radar."
Related: Jaguars defensive tackle room suddenly looks in good shape with Khalen Saunders
Jaguars winners: Defensive ends Travon Walker & Josh Hines-Allen
Both defensive ends had stellar seasons in 2024 despite the mediocre play around them. While Hines-Allen didn't quite return to his franchise-record-setting 17.5-sack 2023 season, he still reached a solid 8, while Walker racked up 10.5 and two forced fumbles. Now, with Saunders bolstering a promising D-line, the duo can pin their ears back and get after the quarterback. We can—and should—expect double-digit sacks from them this year.
Related: Jaguars' revolving door at RT offers sudden depth-chart twist ahead of Saints game
Final thoughts
James "I've got rocks" Gladstone may have helped pave the way for the Jaguars' 2025 season, but it's still up to the players to play the game. The roster looks to be heading in the right direction. With Liam Coen at the helm, the potential is there.
Here are other Jaguars stories you may also like: