Forget the draft. A NFL reporter says Jacksonville should trade for Commanders DT Daron Payne to bolster interior pass rush and address a critical defensive need.
The defensive tackle position is a need for the Jacksonville Jaguars heading into the draft. But one NFL reporter has the team addressing it via trade rather than drafting a young prospect.
Ralph Vacchiano, an NFL reporter for Fox Sports, wrote that the Jaguars should trade for Daron Payne from the Washington Commanders during the draft.
In Vacchiano's view, Jacksonville should trade a third-round pick (88th) and a fourth-round pick (124th) to acquire Payne. Payne is 29 years old and entering the final year of his three-year, $90 million contract extension signed in 2023.
"His ceiling remains high, making him worth the gamble for the Jags," Vacchiano wrote. "He’d give them the interior pass rush they were so obviously lacking last season."
Payne's three-year extension came off a career-high season, recording 11.5 sacks. He's regressed since signing the contract, totaling 11 sacks since 2023.
Jacksonville ranked 27th in sacks last season with 32. Josh Hines-Allen led the defense with eight sacks from the edge; his bookend, Travon Walker, finished with 3.5 in an injury-shortened season. Arik Armstead led the interior line with 5.5 sacks, while backups Austin Johnson and DaVon Hamilton had one sack apiece. The Jaguars' starting linebackers, including ball-hawk Devin Lloyd, who signed with Carolina in free agency, totaled five sacks in a position that averages roughly 2-3 per player per season.
Vacchiano said Payne's presence in the middle could help bolster the pressure on opposing quarterbacks brought by the Jags' interior linemen.
"With Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen on the edge, Payne could make a big difference playing next to Arik Armstead in the middle," Vacchiano wrote.
If traded, Jacksonville would pay Payne about $21 million in the final year of his contract. A hefty price for a defensive tackle who hasn't returned to his 2022 form.
JaguarsRoundtable contributor Matthew Feldman analyzed PFSN's new seven-round mock draft for the team, and the mock did not have Jacksonville selecting a defensive tackle until the sixth round.
Drafting an immediate contributor in the sixth round is highly unlikely, and trading for Payne could address the Jaguars' needs, foregoing drafting a developmental player.
The team isn't opposed to trading draft capital for help, either, evidenced by the Jakobi Meyers trade last season. Jacksonville traded a fourth and sixth-round pick in this year's draft to acquire Meyers from the Las Vegas Raiders.
Upon arriving, Meyers bolstered the receiving corps that saw Travis Hunter's season end due to a torn LCL in his right knee. and Brian Thomas Jr. struggling. Meyers totaled 42 receptions, 483 yards and three touchdowns in nine games with the Jaguars. He also signed a three-year, $60 million contract extension.
Jacksonville's trade with Las Vegas highlights its willingness to part with draft capital to address a positional need.
While the team would bet on Payne to return to his 2022 form, his presence could improve the interior pressure and aid a resurgence in sacks for the Jaguars next season.
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