Since clinching the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Jacksonville Jaguars rumors have pointed to the team selecting consensus top prospect Trevor Lawrence once April comes calling.
It makes sense in that new Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer will want his own quarterback under center despite the presence of Gardner Minshew in Jacksonville.
However, a wrench could have been thrown into this belief once Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson requested a trade. Could Meyer go after the quarterback he missed during his days with Ohio State? It’s possible.
Jacksonville Jaguars could trade No. 1 pick for Deshaun Watson
“One industry insider with insight into Urban Meyer thinks the Jaguars’ new coach could see the appeal of offering the first pick in April’s draft — i.e. Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence — in a package for Watson. Though the Jaguars, coming off a 1-15 season, aren’t positioned to contend immediately, Watson would speed up the process for Meyer,” The Athletic noted on Monday.
Whether Houston would even consider moving Watson to a division rival remains to be seen. Heck, the Texans are not even willing to talk trade despite Watson making it 100% clear that he doesn’t want to be with the organization anymore.
Jaguars rumors could pick up in this regard should Houston engage them in trade talks moving forward. The idea of acquiring Trevor Lawrence in a Deshaun Watson trade has to be appealing to new Texans general manager Nick Caserio. It would be a way to move on from this drama while having a franchise quarterback to call his own.
What might a Deshaun Watson trade look like?
Complicating things a bit further here is the fact that the Texans would want more than the No. 1 pick in a Watson trade. They’d likely request at least one more first-round selection, further draft pick compensation and a young defensive player from Houston.
Is that something the rebuilding Jaguars under new general manager Trent Baalke would be willing to do? It stands to reason that the answer to this question would be a no.
Jacksonville won one game a season ago. It has a lot more issues than quarterback. Drafting Lawrence and building through that avenue seems to make more sense.
Even then, this is an interesting backstory as the NFL offseason heats up.
More must-reads: