The Atlanta Falcons didn't wait until Tuesday's trade deadline to make a blockbuster deal. On Monday, the team traded safety Jessie Bates III to the Jacksonville Jaguars for two draft picks. According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Jaguars gave up a 2027 second-round pick and a fifth-round pick in the 2028 draft.
That's not a bad return for a player who was under contract for just eight more games. The 29-year-old did not appear to be in the team's long-term plans, and with the Falcons dropping to 3-6, the time felt right to deal Bates.
So who won the trade?
The Jaguars currently lead the AFC South with a 6-2 record. By acquiring Bates, arguably the NFL's best ballhawk, they have greatly increased their chances of a deep playoff run. While
ESPN felt the trade was good for both parties, the Falcons received a slightly higher grade.
Atlanta got a "B+" and Jacksonville got a "B" grade for Monday's trade from ESPN's Seth Walder.
"Atlanta was somewhat boxed in to making a Bates deal because it has so much cap space -- more than $110 million in 2027, per OverTheCap.com. That means they very likely will be active in free agency and therefore would have a major risk of not getting anything back for Bates if they held him through the end of the year, as acquired free agents cancel out lost free agents in terms of compensatory picks.
If the Falcons were not going to be contenders this season, then they almost had to deal Bates for the most they could get for him. And while the 3-6 Falcons are still in the race in the lowly NFC South, they had to ask themselves: Is this team really going to make a run in 2026? It seems they answered that question honestly."
The AFC is wide open, and Jacksonville now adds Bates to a secondary featuring two-way star Travis Hunter. Considering the Jaguars have been a historically inept franchise, you can't blame them for taking a swing on one of the NFL's best players.
The real value of the trade goes to Atlanta, though. The Falcons getting a second-round pick is a huge win for general manager Ian Cunningham and president of football Matt Ryan.
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, so we wouldn't rule out another move by Cunningham, Ryan and company in the next 24 hours.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: ESPN grades Falcons-Jaguars trade for safety Jessie Bates III
