The Las Vegas Raiders finally granted Jakobi Meyers' wish, as they sent him to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a fourth and sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Jaguars, who handed the Raiders a heartbreaking 30-29 overtime loss just two days prior, emerged as a suitor following the injury to Travis Hunter -- something we predicted ahead of the matchup.
Meyers, who had originally requested a trade in the preseason and later reiterated that desire, had the best year of his career in 2024, recording 1,027 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 87 receptions in 15 games played. He entered training camp hoping for a new deal, however, Las Vegas' new brass was unable to come to terms with him, leading to his request to be moved.
The wide receiver's play dipped this season, as he has 33 receptions for 352 yards and no touchdowns through seven games played. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday that the Raiders had multiple suitors for Meyers before sending him to Jacksonville.
With Las Vegas sitting at 2-6 and Meyers' future with the team being up in the air, it became apparent that the sides were headed for a split. The Raiders settled on receiving the best package that they could in return.
Jakobi Meyers' Raiders tenure comes to an end with trade to the Jaguars
Grade: B
It is clear that the Raiders' focus should be on the future, given their record and incredibly uphill battle for a postseason berth in 2025. The writing was on the wall for Meyers finishing out the year with the team, as they were simply not competitive and he was virtually a non-factor over his final four games.
He had caught four passes in each of those appearances, averaging just 31.0 yards per game. In Sunday's matchup against the Jaguars, which saw the Raiders score a season-high 29 points, Meyers had his worst performance of the season as he finished with just 23 yards.
Las Vegas' offense as a whole has not been great, ranking 29th in scoring offense and 30th in total yards. While the team had been hoping for a Day 2 pick in return for their disgruntled wideout, they still deserve credit for pulling the trigger and finally making a move.
RELATED: Raiders' Pete Carroll just sent a not-so-subtle message to Chip Kelly
Meyers was unlikely to be back in 2026 and his deal paves the way for Jack Bech and/or Dont'e Thornton Jr. to have a more consistent role and continue their development. It also gives the Raiders a projected ten picks in the upcoming draft.
Great teams are built through the draft, and while the Raiders' rookie class has not received much playing time in 2025, infusing the team with young talent is necessary.
Las Vegas likely would've received a fourth-round compensatory pick for Meyers in 2027 had they allowed him to walk in free agency. However, they were able to pick up a fourth-round pick one year earlier that will land higher, while adding an additional pick.
Despite not getting exactly what they were looking for, the Raiders' strategy of creating a bidding war paid off. While fans may be unhappy to see Meyers go, it was ultimately the right move by general manager John Spytek as he looks to set the franchise up for long-term success.