The Jacksonville Jaguars just swung a deal for one of the best safeties in the NFL ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, per The Athletic's Jonathan Jones and others.
The team is sending a 2027 second rounder and a 2028 fifth rounder to the Atlanta Falcons for safety Jessie Bates III, cementing the secondary in Jacksonville ahead of the team's November/December push for the playoffs.
Atlanta, at 3-6, is making a statement, too, trading away one of its best players and captains to a Super Bowl contender for meaningful draft capital. Who is the biggest winner in this deal? Let's break it down.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are trading for Falcons S Jessie Bates III, sources tell @TheAthletic. The Jags are sending a 2027 2nd round pick and 2028 5th to Atlanta
acquire Bates. A big move by one of the NFL’s top teams ahead of the deadline.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) November 9, 2026
Jaguars grade
The Jaguars needed safety help after losing Eric Murray to an elbow injury. Adding Bates is a huge splash. He's one of the best ball-hawking safeties in the NFL, capable of flipping a game with his explosive play ability. He's also very reliable in coverage and a master of the "Peanut punch" to force fumbles. He's the full package. Only 29, he's still got a lot of good football ahead of him, too. For a team trying to win a Super Bowl, you want players like Bates around. While, yes, losing a 2027 second rounder and a 2028 fifth rounder is costly, the reward could be immense if he makes the defining play on defense in a big playoff game to send you to the next round. Jacksonville needed another gear on defense to really challenge for the AFC. The team just got it. We love this move for the Jaguars.
GRADE: A
Falcons grade
This is a gut-punch for the Falcons' 2026 chances. Bates was the heart and soul of their defense. Now, he will return to the AFC to play for a contender. This is a clear sign from the new front office that the results aren't good enough right now to ignore major draft capital for the future. Xavier Watts will likely slide over to Bates' free safety spot, giving Sydney Brown a chance to start at strong safety. The Falcons could have extended Bates ahead of 2027 free agency, but it's clear the team has plans to invest its plentiful resources elsewhere on the roster. Getting a 2027 second rounder and a 2028 fifth rounder ahead of the trade deadline is really strong business. Sending a message like this to your locker room might be a bit demoralizing, but it's the kind of tough move that may pay off later. For now, it's a clear sign that Atlanta doesn't believe it's good enough in 2026 to justify passing on future resources.
GRADE: B+
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Jessie Bates III trade grades: Who won blockbuster Jaguars-Falcons deal?
