Jaguars Poll OTW: What would you give up in a trade for WR Brandon Aiyuk?

In this week’s poll, we want to know what you think the Jaguars should be willing to give up in a trade for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk

Welcome back, Jags Pollsters!

This past week, we asked you how you would grade the Jacksonville Jaguars’ moves during the first week of free agency. Though the poll remains open, 57% of you thus far have given the Jags a B for their recent acquisitions.

For many of you, the biggest detriment to their grade is the lack of a true WR1 after the departure of Calvin Ridley, and analysts tend to agree. Hence, when rumor spread that the San Francisco 49ers and the Jaguars were discussing a potential trade to send All-Pro WR Brandon Aiyuk to the Jags, fans were understandably thrilled.

Unfortunately, nothing has come to fruition, as recent reports suggest the asking price of the 49ers included the Jags’ first-round pick this year, which was ultimately too high. This is also notable in a draft year loaded with high-end WR talent.

With this in mind, we want to ask you: Would you have made the proposed trade?

In my eyes, if I am a GM with a solid draft history, I am probably taking a gamble on a loaded WR class, assuming I am enamored with one of the upcoming receivers. However, considering the current Jaguars general manager is Trent Baalke, I am almost certainly accepting the 49ers’ offer.

After all, Baalke is historically one of the worst-drafting GMs in the league and is the primary reason the Jags have had to look to free agency to plug gaping holes in the roster. Looking more specifically at the wide receiver position, the list of WRs drafted by Trent Baalke is comprised of Ronald Johnson (round 6), AJ Jenkins (round 1), Quinton Patton (round 4), Bruce Ellington (round 4), Deandre Smelter (round 4), Aaron Burbidge (round 6), Parker Washington (round 6), and Jalen Camp (round 6). Yikes.

Conversely, Aiyuk is a bonafide stud and a borderline top-5 WR in the NFL. He combines exceptional hands with astute route-running and aggressive blocking, and there is a reason he has been able to excel amidst competition for touches with Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle. While he will certainly demand a hefty contract next offseason, I daresay the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins are OK that they paid A.J. Brown and Tyreek Hill, respectively. Moreover, Aiyuk still has one year on his rookie deal, and trading Zay Jones along with a draft pick would offload nearly 11 million in cap space this season.

Ultimately, while giving up a 2nd round pick rather than a 1st would certainly be ideal, the answer to this poll comes down to this: do you have faith that Baalke can draft a top-7 NFL WR with the 17th overall pick? If the answer is yes, no-deal seems the right move. However, if you think the likelihood of Baalke drafting an Aiyuk-quality WR at pick 17 is about as likely as Luke Fortner making the pro-bowl this year… well, where do I sign?

Of course, this is also assuming the Jags pick a WR with the 17th overall pick. I’d be much less inclined to make the trade if we get an elite lineman or defensive back in the first and get a falling highly-graded WR in the second.

Jags fans, what do you think? What do you think is a good price for Aiyuk?