Jordan Davis Trade Grades: Eagles Celebrated, Jaguars Dragged

Jordan Davis trade grades: Eagles celebrated, Jaguars dragged originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The widely expected Eagles sell-off began Monday afternoon, when they shipped defensive tackle Jordan Davis to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a first-round draft pick in the 2027 draft, as well as a second-round pick in the 2029 draft. Considering Davis’ underwhelming play this season and his exorbitant price tag, the return Eagles executive VP/GM Howie Roseman got for Davis was impressive.

But what did those who cover the NFL at large think about the deal? We culled opinions from several sites to find out.

Daniel Popper: Senior NFL Writer, The Athletic – Eagles A+, Jaguars D-

“This was a significant overpay for general manager James Gladstone and the Jaguars. Davis is a very good run defender, but he does not offer nearly enough as a pass rusher to command this type of return.”

“This is an impressive return for Roseman, and the Eagles are now loaded with future draft capital. They now have two first-round picks in 2027, and two first-round picks in 2028, their own and the Patriots’ pick from the A.J. Brown trade. They also own two second-round picks in 2029. That is a ton of ammunition to use in whatever fashion Roseman sees fit. They could stick and pick. They could trade any of those picks for veteran players. They could package them to move around in the draft. As our Jonathan Jones wrote in our trade deadline live blog, “What the Eagles have now is total optionality.”

“Roseman is doing the right thing, turning a losing season into future opportunity.”

Garrett Podell: NFL Writer, CBS Sports – Eagles A, Jaguars B-

“Jacksonville’s timing is right, but the price they paid for Davis is not. A first-round pick and a second-round pick for Davis isn’t all that different from what the Chicago Bears gave up (2027 and 2028 first-round picks plus a 2027 fourth-round pick) for All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, the best defensive tackle in football at the moment. Sure, the Jaguars were never going to get Simmons since he was on an AFC South division rival, the Tennessee Titans, but couldn’t they have gotten Davis for a slightly cheaper price?”

“Roseman… recouped first-round and second-round draft capital in the deal. He couldn’t have asked for anything more, and he’ll be able to rebuild the Eagles in no time with 10 picks in the first two rounds of the draft across the next three years.”

Kevin Patra: NFL.com Senior News Writer – Eagles A, Jaguars C+

“The Jags’ massive move for nose tackle Jordan Davis comes with huge risk for the GM who took the F-them picks mantle from his former boss, Les Snead, and sped away. If it works out and Davis plays a pivotal role in the Jags bringing a Lombardi to Duval, no one will give a hoot how much it costs. If it backfires, Davis struggles and Jacksonville bows out early, it will be a tough pill to swallow.”

“I’m not sure Howie Roseman wanted to move Davis after just paying him, but when you get a desperate trade partner offering the moon, sometimes you just take their cash and hightail it out of there. This feels akin to the reaction when the Raiders initially got two first-round picks from the Ravens for Maxx Crosby before the trade was scuttled.”

Seth Walder: NFL Analytics Writer, ESPN – Eagles A, Jaguars F

“There’s no other way to start this: This trade is a disaster for Jacksonville.

“The Jaguars are absolutely right to go for it. Entering Monday, they had a 12.8% chance to win the Super Bowl, per ESPN’s Football Power Index, second highest of any team and best in the AFC. And that’s why I was OK with them rolling the dice on Jessie Bates III earlier in the day. A late-round pick for Davon Godchaux, too? Fine. But first- and second-round picks for Davis? Reckless would be putting it mildly.”

“With Philadelphia’s season effectively over, it’s easy for the Eagles to unload their players. But at this kind of price, I’m inclined to think the Eagles would have dealt Davis no matter their contention status or depth chart. Philadelphia should be thrilled at this return.”