One day ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline, the New Orleans Saints are sending one of their defenders to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a draft pick.
Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Saints are finalizing a trade to send former LSU Tigers defensive tackle Davon Godchaux to the Jaguars in exchange for draft capital. The compensation, reported by NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, includes a conditional sixth-round draft pick in 2028 that could turn into a sixth-round pick in 2027.
The pick will only advance if Jacksonville acquires a 2027 sixth-round selection via another trade of the compensatory formula following the 2026 NFL season.
Godchaux, a native of Plaquemine, was acquired by the Saints ahead of the 2025 season via a trade with the New England Patriots in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick in the 2025 NFL draft. The Saints are getting one round better in their return after Godchaux appeared in 25 games with New Orleans.
Over the course of this season, the veteran nose tackle has seen his snaps diminish. In Weeks 1-4, he payed at least 21 snaps. Since then, his snaps have maxed out at 18 with one game (Week 6 at the New York Giants) falling as low as eight.
The Saints have a number of young, promising defensive tackles that have also been pushing for more snaps. Khristian Boyd is a 2024 draft pick that’s in the midst of a breakout season (relative to his position), and the Saints spent a second-round selection in 2026 on Georgia’s Christen Miller, who brings a lot of promise as a developing NFL run stopper.
Godchaux’s snaps will now be vacated and those young players will get more opportunities on the field. In 1 ½ seasons with the Saints, Godchaux’s amassed 58 total tackles including three for a loss and one quarterback hit.
