The Jacksonville Jaguars are clear buyers ahead of the 2023 NFL trade deadline. They are in first place in the AFC South with a record of 5-2 and have shown that they can hang with the upper-echelon teams in the NFL.
They had another close, hard-fought loss against the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this season in Arrowhead and defeated the Buffalo Bills overseas. Adversity was faced when they were outplayed by the New Orleans Saints in nearly every facet of the game in Week 7 on Thursday Night Football but they still came away with the win.
For the Jaguars to take that next step, they should be looking for some reinforcements on the defensive side of the ball. Jacksonville is 10th in overall defensive grade with a 74.6 per PFF, but their pass rush leaves a lot to be desired.
Their pass-rushing grade of 60.9 ranks 29th in the NFL thus far this season. If they want to find success in the playoffs, that is something that needs to improve. That is why Brad Spielberger of PFF has suggested they make a move for a veteran pass rusher ahead of the deadline.
Spielberger believes that Jacksonville should acquire Justin Houston from the Carolina Panthers to bolster their pass rusher. A sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is the compensation he suggests, which is a win for both sides.
“Houston’s 18.4% pass-rush win rate and 14.6% pressure percentage in 2022 were both top-25 marks among edge defenders, and he managed to add 9.5 sacks to his total, which brings him to 111.5 for his career, a top-40 mark all time. Houston is still a menacing pass-rusher, boasting a pressure rate above 10% once again so far in 2023,” Spielberger wrote.
Edge rusher Josh Allen has been elite this season, registering 7.0 sacks and ranking 9th out of 109 qualified EDGE players in overall defensive grade. The next highest-graded EDGE player the Jaguars have is Chad Muma, who is 81st.
Houston is ranked only 80th thus far this season, but he has a proven track record of getting after the quarterback. As a situational player who is only asked to rush the passer, he could get things back on track.
As Spielberger noted, Houston is still creating pressure at a solid clip despite the low grades. Being traded to a playoff team would certainly light a fire under him and lead to better production knowing he has a chance to compete for his first Super Bowl ring.
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