As the Jacksonville Jaguars continue to prove they deserve to be mentioned among the NFL's best teams, the team must decide what, if any, additions to make before the trade deadline on November 10.

After their huge Week 4 victory on the road over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Jaguars are 3-1 and alone in first place in the AFC South. 

The Jaguars have shown they are a balanced team that can ride either their offense or their defense to a win. 

The offense was expected to be one of the NFL’s best and has been as advertised through the team’s first four games. Even the one supposed weakness, the run game, has been outstanding, as Bhayshul Tuten has proven all of his doubters wrong as Jacksonville’s top running back. 

The defense, though, has really taken another giant leap forward. The 53 points Jacksonville has given up through four games is the second-fewest in the NFL, bested only by the Minnesota Vikings, who have allowed 51. 

The Jaguars are allowing only 74.3 rushing yards per game, second-best in the league. But the 280.3 passing yards allowed per game is the second-most in the NFL. Of course, that total is inflated by the 428 yards Joe Burrow threw against them last week, but the team also allowed Bo Nix to throw for 288 yards in the Jaguars’ only loss of the season in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos. 

As Travis Hunter continues to play more snaps at cornerback, especially after having the best game of his career against the Bengals, Jacksonville’s pass defense should be much better. 

However, that doesn’t mean the Jaguars’ defense couldn’t use some reinforcements, especially along the interior of the defensive line. 

Luckily, there may be a big fish available on the trade market. 

I’m talking about defensive tackle Daron Payne, who is unlikely to re-sign with the Washington Commanders after the season, making him a potential trade candidate before the deadline. 

Payne is a solid defender against both the run and the pass, and would bring a lot to the Jaguars if they decided to pull the trigger on a big trade. 

Payne has yet to record a sack this season, but has 12 total pressures through four games. His pass-rushing juice would be a welcome addition to Jacksonville’s defensive tackle group, as he has 37 sacks over his 8+ seasons in Washington, including a career-high 11.5 in 2022. 

His PFF run-defense grade of 62.1 ranks 39th out of 129 qualified DTs and would help the Jaguars remain an incredibly difficult team to run on. 

Payne is also very durable. Since being drafted in the first round (13th overall) in 2018, he has never played fewer than 15 games in a season. 

The Jaguars have long needed someone who can create steady pressure from the interior. Arik Armstead is the only Jacksonville DT who can get to the quarterback, so Payne could help take some of the pressure off him every week. 

Adding Payne to a DT group that already has Armstead, run-stuffing behemoth DaVon Hamilton, Ruke Orhorhoro, and rookie Albert Regis could make the position another team strength. 

Payne is likely to fetch at least a third- or fourth-round pick if traded, possibly even a second. 

Would the Jaguars be willing to part with a decently high draft pick for Payne’s services, especially with him set to be a free agent next offseason?

I think they should strongly consider it. Jacksonville has a real chance to reach the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl this season. Trading for Payne could help, as he would turn a position that may be considered a slight team weakness into a strength. 

Washington has stumbled out of the gate with a 1-3 record. If the Commanders continue to falter, they should be sellers at the deadline. 

If Payne becomes available, general manager James Gladstone should make the call to see what it would take to bring him to Duval.