The Jacksonville Jaguars traded a 2026 fourth-round pick and sixth-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for wide receiver Jakobi Meyers on Tuesday's NFL trade deadline. The move addresses injuries at the position, including Brian Thomas Jr.'s high ankle sprain that will sideline him for Sunday's game against the Houston Texans. Pittsburgh Steelers also pursued Meyers but were outbid.
The Jaguars, sitting at 5-3 and in the AFC Wild Card mix, bolstered their passing attack by acquiring Jakobi Meyers, who has recorded 33 catches for 352 yards this season with the Raiders. Meyers brings a proven track record, including four consecutive 800-yard receiving seasons and a 1,000-yard campaign in 2024. Jacksonville general manager James Gladstone highlighted Meyers' reliability, stating, "We're looking forward to seeing how his skill set fits within the system. I think from afar it does. You think about where we're at in terms of volume of drops, what's his superpower? It's not dropping the football, right? So you just take it from the surface level, it seems fitting."
Injuries have plagued the Jaguars' receiver room. Brian Thomas Jr., the team's leading receiver with 30 receptions for 420 yards and one touchdown, is ruled out for Week 10 due to a high ankle sprain. He has averaged just 3.8 receptions and 52.5 yards per game this season, a drop from his rookie year when he had 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter, with 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown, is on injured reserve with a knee injury. Other absences include Tim Patrick (groin) and Dyami Brown (concussion), leaving Parker Washington as a recent standout with 90 yards on eight catches in the overtime win over the Raiders.
The Jaguars rank tied for the most dropped passes (30) through eight games since 2000 and 16th in passing yards per game at 215.3. They rank fourth in passing attempts with receivers catching 107 passes. Meyers steps into a lineup needing stability opposite quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has targeted wide receivers amid completion percentage, yards per attempt, and touchdown-interception challenges this season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers offered the same draft compensation—a 2026 fourth- and sixth-round pick—for Meyers but lost out to Jacksonville. Beat reporter Mark Kaboly noted, "You figure he’s going to go to Jacksonville where he’s probably the defacto one right now." The Steelers also showed interest in Miami Dolphins' Jaylen Waddle, reportedly offering a third- and fifth-round pick, though Miami sought at least a first-rounder. The Jaguars enter their divisional matchup as 1.5-point favorites over the 3-5 Texans.