The Jacksonville Jaguars began chipping their roster down to 53 players this week, but the first move did not involve a cut.
Instead, the move was trading offensive lineman Fred Johnson to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2026 seventh-round draft pick.
So, what do we make of the decision to trade Johnson to the Eagles before Week 1? We break it down below.
Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Fred Johnson (74) warms up during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ third mandatory minicamp Thursday June 12, 2025 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] / Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It sure seemed like the Jaguars added Johnson this offseason to push Walker Little and/or Anton Harrison, but he never seemed very close to doing so. Little has dominated reps at left tackle, while Johnson had an uneven camp and frequently seemed to struggle in terms of being as conditioned as the rest of the line — frequent hands on hips, walking to the line out of the huddle, etc.
These are little things, but they matter. Once Johnson no longer looked like a threat to Little or Harrison, he became expendable considering the depth at swing tackle.
Jacksonville Jaguars Offensive Line Coach Shaun Sarrett coaches Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Cole Van Lanen (70) during the fourth organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Tuesday, May 27, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] / Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The immediate winner from the Jaguars’ trading Johnson is veteran backup offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen. Van Lanen was adored by the last staff thanks to his development over the years, and the reviews from the new regime had been just as positive until Van Lanen went down with an injury early on in training camp.
With Johnson now off the roster, this should spell good news for Van Lanen’s chances to avoid landing on IR to start the year. Once Van Lanen is 100% healthy, he should fiure into the mix as the top swing tackle, though Chuma Edoga and Patrick Mekari can both play the role as well.
Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manger James Gladstone speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
With this trade now completed, the Jaguars have 12 draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft … despite not having their first-round pick due to the Travis Hunter trade. The Jaguars have five picks of their own and seven picks that have come from trades, and the Eagles pick is now one of four seventh-round picks the Jaguars have.
With four of these picks being in the top-100, it is not out of the question for the Jaguars to be able to get back into the first-round and still have enough picks in the later rounds to feel like they are not mortgaging the entire class.
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