In two drafts as general manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Trent Baalke has negotiated just three trades. One was a jump six spots up the draft order last year to pick a second time in the first round and snag linebacker Devin Lloyd.
“I’m not going to divulge the board, but obviously this was a draft where there was a certain number of guys that we had graded above the line and we were getting to the point where we needed to make a move,” Baalke explained last year after making the trade for Lloyd, via Jaguar Report.
This year, a trade seems less likely. With almost all of the Jaguars’ starting lineup from 2022 returning for the 2023 season, the focus of the offseason has been on patiently accruing young talent rather than swinging for the fences.
“I don’t know that we’re going to be big movers and try to trade way up in the draft,” Baalke said in February at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. “Will we move a little bit? We could, but it really depends on how the board gets stacked.”
It would probably take a special player sliding into the Jaguars’ reach for a trade to happen. Here are three prospects from the 2023 NFL Draft who could entice Baalke to make a deal after all:
Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
The Jaguars hope the Georgia pass rusher they took in 2022 will be a star for years to come, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the team is itching to pair Travon Walker with one of his former Bulldogs teammates.
Nolan Smith is one of several pass rushers who has scheduled visits with the Jaguars ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, making it clear that the team is interested in adding at the position.
Smith is relatively light at 238 pounds, he blew away the field at the combine with a 4.39 40-yard dash and a 41.5-inch vertical jump. While that elite explosion and burst make him a scary speed rusher, Smith is also better against the run than you’d expect, earning a above-90 run defense grade from PFF in his last two seasons at Georgia.
In Jacksonville, he could be used creatively, as defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell would be able to rotate through Walker, Smith, and Josh Allen off the edge.
Just one problem: it seems like a long shot that Smith would be available at No. 24. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr, Todd McShay, and Jordan Reid all have Smith landing in the top 12 of their most recent mock drafts. Charles Davis of NFL Network even went so far as to put Smith at sixth overall in his last mock.
Don’t expect the Jaguars to recreate their Derrick Harvey trade to land Smith, but it’d be awfully tempting to try to move up five or six spots if the speedy edge rusher escapes the top half of the first round.
Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Imagine a Jaguars defense with not one, but two Tyson Campbells.
Campbell is a 6’1, 195-pound cornerback with 32-inch arms who ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at the combine. Gonzalez is a 6’1, 197-pound cornerback with 32-inch arms who ran a 4.38.
While the Jaguars landed their gem of a corner in the second round in 2021, they won’t be able to do the same to acquire Gonzalez. Few believe the Oregon defensive back will escape the top 10 picks and he’s the betting favorite to be the first cornerback drafted this year.
But the wild card in the situation is Devon Witherspoon of Illinois. While he doesn’t have the prototypical size, athleticism, and length of Gonzalez, Witherspoon had an unreal season in coverage last year. Opposing quarterbacks had a 25.3 passer rating throwing at the 5’11 cornerback, who allowed only 22 receptions all year. Gonzalez gave up 39 receptions and a 74.7 passer rating.
If Witherspoon is surprises as the first cornerback off the board, Gonzalez — who fits the Trent Baalke cornerback mold to a tee — would likely slide out of the top 10. Perhaps he’d have to fall even further than that to approach the Jaguars’ crosshairs, but it’s hard to imagine the team not even considering the idea if Gonzalez escapes the top 15 or so picks.
Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa
Van Ness has been paired with the Jaguars in several mock drafts, but hoping that happens in three weeks may be wishful thinking for Duval.
It’s not exactly easy to find guys who check all the boxes like Van Ness. The aptly nicknamed “Hercules” stands 6’5, 272 pounds with 34-inch arms and has a unique blend of strength and flexibility.
While he’s raw redshirt sophomore with little experience or polish, there are too many prototypical physical traits to keep Van Ness on the board long. The majority of mocks have the Iowa pass rusher going in the top 20 selections.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the Jaguars saw Van Ness as a perfect fit to rotate with the 6’5, 275-pound Travon Walker and 6’5, 262-pound Josh Allen. It also wouldn’t be surprising if Jacksonville — a team that isn’t particularly needy at any position — felt compelled to sit at No. 24 and see what players are on the board after the first 23 picks are made.
There’s certainly a chance Van Ness would be one of the players available to the Jaguars. But if that’s the player that Baalke wants, he may need to move up a few picks to make sure he doesn’t miss out.
