The Jaguars have made a splash move to shore up the back end of their defense.
Jacksonville acquired Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, the team announced Monday.
ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the news.
The Falcons are paying most of Bates' salary to complete the deal, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport added.
"Jessie has been a proven playmaker on the defensive side of the ball for the last 8+ seasons," Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said in a statement. "His skill set complements our style of play and the person he is aligns with our culture. We look forward to integrating Jessie into our team as we prepare for the back half of the season."
Jacksonville wasn't done raiding the NFC South on Monday, later acquiring defensive tackle Davon Godchaux from the New Orleans Saints, Schefter and NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported. Schefter added that the Saints will receive a conditional 2028 sixth-round draft pick in the deal. The selection can turn into a 2027 sixth-rounder if Jacksonville were to acquire one.
The Jags have dealt with injuries that have sapped their defense, including losing starting safety Eric Murray and defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton for the season with elbow and quad injuries, respectively.
Importing Bates is a massive coup for an already good defense under coordinator Anthony Campanile. The 29-year-old safety is a ballhawk, with 28 career interceptions. Through nine games this season, he has one interception, four passes defensed, three forced fumbles, a fumble-return touchdown and 60 total tackles.
A rangy safety, Bates solidifies the back end of Campanile's high-flying defense that ranks in the top five against the run but is 22nd against the pass this season. As a top-tier AFC team with a legit shot at making a Super Bowl run, upgrading the secondary keeps the Jags on course. Much like how Jacksonville inked Jakobi Meyers to an extension after trading for the WR last year, the Jags could eventually extend the 29-year-old pending free agent as a veteran cornerstone in the secondary.
Godchaux is set to replace Hamilton on Jacksonville's defensive line. The former Saints DT has tallied 15 tackles (one for loss) in eight games this season, his 10th in the NFL. Like Bates, Godchaux is in the final year of his contract.
For the 3-6 Falcons, coming off a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, the trade represents a realization that even though they're not out of the hunt in a moribund NFC South, they aren't a title contender.
With Bates playing out his contract, Atlanta likely would have lost him in free agency. Shipping out a near-30-year-old safety for a few games while getting a second-round pick is smart business. With a ton of cap space in the offseason, the Falcons were unlikely to recoup any compensatory picks if Bates left in free agency, so paying out most of his salary to get a Day 2 draft pick is a good return.
Atlanta now has four top-100 picks and the most salary cap space in the league for the new brass to continue the rebuild in 2027.
