Jaguars Acquire Jessie Bates From Falcons: Instant Reaction

The Jacksonville Jaguars acquired former Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Here is my instant reaction to the trade.

Complete Secondary

Adding Bates allows Jacksonville to address a major need in the secondary. The Jaguars already had their outside corners in Travis Hunter and Montaric Brown, slot corners Jourdan Lewis and Jarrian Jones, and strong safety Antonio Johnson. With Bates, Jacksonville fills its need at free safety.

Before the addition, the Jaguars lost veteran free safety Eric Murray in Week 8 with an elbow injury. Before his season-ending injury, Murray was also dealing with a concussion he suffered in Week 4. In his absence, the defense had relied on sixth-round draft pick Rayuan Lane III and practice squad player Kaevon Merriweather.

The Jaguars safety rotation of Murray, Lane III, and Merriweather combined for one interception and 29 solo tackles this season. Bates has recorded an 84.1 overall PFF grade this season, ranking fourth among safeties. He has recorded 31 solo tackles, one interception, three pass breakups, and three forced fumbles. His ability to roam the secondary and play natural free safety allows Jacksonville to have a playmaker while freeing up Johnson to play closer to the line of scrimmage. 

Johnson has recorded an overall 70.8 PFF grade this season, ranking 23rd among safeties. With both him and Bates, Jacksonville has two high-level players at their position who can complement one another. Last season, the two had the lowest passer rating allowed among safeties, with Johnson first (43.0) and Bates fourth (52.5), according to Next Gen Stats. Bates has 28 total interceptions in his nine-year career and is second in takeaways over the last four years.

Jacksonville has the No. 2 scoring defense, with 15 total turnovers and a plus-nine turnover differential, which leads the NFL.

Super Bowl Or Bust

If it wasn’t more evident, it is now: the Jaguars are in a Super Bowl window, and a trade of this magnitude shows the organization is going all in.

Jacksonville currently sits atop the AFC South and has an opportunity to win back-to-back division titles for the first time since 1998 and 1999. Acquiring Bates is also a rare move. The last safety to be traded for a second-round draft pick was Earl Thomas in August 2018. The Baltimore Ravens acquired him from the Seattle Seahawks for a 2019 second-round pick and a 2019 seventh-round pick.

Though they sit first in the AFC South, the Jaguars also have a chance at the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. Currently, Jacksonville is the No. 3 seed with the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills ahead. They have the second-easiest remaining strength of schedule, with opponents having a .383 win percentage.

With quarterback Trevor Lawrence off to the best start of his career and the defense being one of the premier units in the NFL, the addition of Bates allows Jacksonville to have a ball hawk in the secondary who can turn the tide of a game.

In last year’s Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville failed to intercept Bills quarterback Josh Allen, which was a major concern. Adding a proven commodity isn’t just about winning the division. It’s making moves to compete for a championship.

End Of My Jessie Bates Rant

At 29, Bates is in the final year of his four-year, $64.02 million contract he signed with the Falcons in 2023. He brings valuable postseason experience, having been a key piece for the Cincinnati Bengals postseason run in 2021 when they made the Super Bowl and in 2022.

During that stretch, Bates played in seven postseason games, recorded 40 total tackles, two interceptions, and six passes defended. Jacksonville is hoping he can bring that same experience and championship pedigree to a unit looking to make a run at the Super Bowl.