Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Fred Johnson (74) talks with Executive Vice President, Football Operations, of the Jacksonville Jaguars Tony Boselli, during an NFL training camp fourth session at the Miller Electric Center, Sunday, July 27, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3 Observations on Jaguars' Fred Johnson Trade

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 1:03 PM ET

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.

Why the Trade Happened

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.

Which OL Will Benefit

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.

Jaguars Stocking Up on 2026 Picks

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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This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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