The Jacksonville Jaguars are headed to London for a pair of winnable games against the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots. Given what awaits on the schedule after they return to Duval County in two weeks, it’s imperative they bring a pair of wins home with them.
After London, the Jags will face the iron of the NFL. They get the Green Bay Packers (3-2) in Week 8, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles (2-2), Minnesota Vikings (5-0), Detroit Lions (3-1) and Houston Texans (4-1). Those five teams enter Week 6 with a combined 17-6 record.
Given their four-game skid to start the season, it’s possible the Jaguars (1-4) are in sell mode coming out of their game at Philadelphia on Nov. 3. For that reason, ESPN's Ben Solak proposed a shockinig trade, with the Jaguars shipping former No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker to Detroit for a package of mid-round picks.
Here was Solak’s full proposal and reasoning:
Lions get: Edge Travon Walker
Jaguars get: 2025 fourth-round selection, 2026 fourth-round selectionThe Jaguars got their first win of the season Sunday and may still be subtracting when the trade deadline comes. Walker, the first overall pick in 2022, has had two splashy games this season and three complete blanks otherwise. He still hasn't quite figured it out with the Jaguars, but he has done enough (five sacks this season) to still fetch a solid pick or two in return.
I know how the Lions would use him: a big base end mashing against the run and pushing the pocket opposite Aidan Hutchinson (who incidentally was taken one selection after Walker in that '22 draft). That was the plan for Marcus Davenport, who was lost for the season with a torn triceps in Week 4. And John Cominsky, who was supposed to be a key rotational player, is also out for the year (knee). The Lions are worryingly thin at defensive end.
This proposed trade would be pretty sweet for the Lions. They’d get a chance to deploy the top two overall picks in the 2022 NFL Draft on their defensive line, as Aiden Hutchenson was Detroit's selection after the Jags picked Walker.
Walker certainly hasn’t lived up to those high expectations. Hutchinson, cornerback Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets, and safety Kyle Hamilton of the Baltimore Ravens have all made bigger impacts on their teams from that 2022 draft class.
But even if the Jags decide to blow it up this season, a pair of fourth-rounders? It just doesn’t feel like the right haul for Walker, especially with one of the picks delayed until 2026.
It’s easy to see why contending teams would covet Walker at the NFL’s Nov. 5 trade deadline, especially after the former Georgia Bulldogs star went off for three sacks in Jacksonville’s first win of 2024 in Week 5. Walker’s only 23, though, and Jacksonville has him under team control through 2026, assuming they pick up his fifth-year option.
Walker hasn’t been consistent enough to be labeled a future franchise cornerstone, but he could be on the rise. He’s tallied 15 sacks in his last 22 games, including five in 2024.
If the Jaguars do decide to cut ties with their young pass rusher, hopefully it’s for a more valuable return.
More Jacksonville Jaguars news:
NFL picks, predictions Week 6: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Chicago Bears
NFL power rankings Week 6: How high should Jaguars climb following first win of 2024?
Jaguars Week 5 snap counts: Tank Bigsby operates as Jacksonville’s lead RB vs. Colts
