How the Jakobi Meyers Trade is Already Paying Dividends for Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a major need going into the 2025 NFL trade deadline. It wasn’t one they expected to have this season. However, halfway through the campaign, it became clear that this team needed another wide receiver, one they could trust to reel in crucial and contested catches.

Jacksonville was supposed to have a deep set of weapons, with rookie standout Brian Thomas Jr., free agent acquisition Dyami Brown, third-year veteran Parker Washington, and second-overall pick Travis Hunter Jr. Unfortunately, practically every single one of them highly disappointed in the early season, outside of maybe Washington.

Even if BTJ could turn his campaign around and Hunter Jr. could continue his ascension after his breakout against the Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville still could have used another set of sure hands downfield for Trevor Lawrence, one who was automatic on routine catches and could reel in tough ones in a tight spot. As such, the Jaguars traded away a fourth- and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 draft to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for Jakobi Meyers.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t know just how clutch their trade for Jakobi Meyers would turn out to be. He’s gotten off to a fast start with his new team, notching eight catches for 105 yards on nine targets in just 73 offensive snaps. The one attempt he didn’t reel in was one that Trevor Lawrence sailed way over his head.

It’s not just that he’s playing well, though. It’s that his arrival couldn’t have come at a better time. Before they acquired him, the Jaguars were in a good position to make a playoff push at 5-4. They’d go on to lose Travis Hunter Jr. for the season shortly after finalizing the deal. One game later, Brian Thomas Jr. would go down with an ankle injury, which will cost him at least two games, as he’s been ruled out against the Arizona Cardinals after missing Jacksonville’s blowout victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

So not only has Meyers made an immediate impact, but the Jaguars need him even more than they originally thought. Head Coach Liam Coen spoke on what he’s seen from his newest downfield weapon so far:

“I think, like, if you’re a receiver and you understand leverage and zones and where people may be, then you can set up your route accordingly. And I think Jakobi does a nice job of giving the quarterback indicators as to where he may go based on his body language, and also just his soft feel. Just yesterday, we had a ‘Mamba’ third down, another great example of him kind of hooking up in the middle of the field, just finding a soft zone behind Foye [Oluokun]. Foye is pretty close to him, and Trevor [Lawrence] just rips in the middle, and it’s bang-bang first down.”

“Just has a feel for the game. And his body language as a receiver, I think, is very quarterback-friendly — you just know when he’s going to be breaking in or out or sitting down. He doesn’t make these quick herky-jerk movements that can spook a quarterback. It’s all pretty fluid and deliberate is, I guess, what I would say. And so anyway, he has good hands, so that allows the quarterback to, even if he’s maybe off a little bit, know that he will still be able to adjust and make some of those plays. So yeah, you’ve seen some chemistry from them early on, which is nice.”

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