2023 NFL trade deadline: Who could the Jaguars chase as the deadline approaches?

The NFL trade deadline is just a few days away on Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. ET, the last day that teams can swap players and picks until the start of the new league year in 2024.

Last year at the deadline, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded away conditional draft compensation for receiver Calvin Ridley.

Thus far, that trade has been successful with Ridley coming into Week 8 third on the team in receptions with 27 but second on the team in receiving yards (368) and touchdowns (two).

This year, the Jaguars have been a hot topic as far as potential trades are concerned, particularly in the trenches with pass rush as the primary focus. The Jaguars have depth issues elsewhere but have struggled mightily in the pass-rush department with 13 total this year, tied for 28th in the NFL.

Adding a pass rusher would give Josh Allen a capable running mate opposite of him, but could also allow the Jaguars to get creative with Travon Walker, who can impact the line of scrimmage in a big way inside or in a rotation.

Naturally, that's the theme of this story.

While there's more to a defensive front than sacks, they certainly can help.

With that in mind, we took a look at a few players that could make sense for the Jaguars and potentially put their defense over the top for at least the remainder of this season.

Danielle Hunter, DL, Minnesota Vikings

Danielle Hunter has been the most talked-about potential Jaguars trade option for quite some time. After some confusion about his status with the Vikings earlier this offseason, the team appeased the veteran pass rusher with a reworked deal. The deal gives him up to $20 million this year.

Hunter, 29, has played his entire eight-year career with the Vikings, accounting for 80 total sacks. He leads the NFL in sacks this year with nine and is on pace to shatter his career-high 14.5 sacks (2018 and 2019). He's in the final year of his deal, a running theme of this list and Jacksonville is likely to use whomever they trade for as a rental with potential extension possibilities.

The pass-rush connection isn't the only thing interesting about the Jaguars potentially dealing with the Vikings, either.

Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke knows Vikings G.M. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, too. Adofo-Mensah was with the San Francisco 49ers as the team's manager of football research and development from 2013-16 while Baalke was the team's G.M.

That gives Baalke an in, potentially, and perhaps he can persuade the young GM to part ways with a player who is likely to say his goodbyes after the season anyway.

Chase Young, DL, Washington Commanders

Among all players on this list, Chase Young has by far the most potential.

With the Commanders' record at 3-4, they're at a crossroads with very little wiggle room within a stacked NFC East division. Young is in the final year of his deal after the Commanders declined his fifth-year option, so he would be a rental for any team interested in acquiring him.

After being drafted with the second-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Young burst onto the scene with 7.5 sacks and by winning the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year honor. In the two seasons that followed, Young played just 12 games with 1.5 sacks.

This year, the 6-foot-5, 264-pound pass rusher is off to a hot start with five sacks, finally healthy after two injury-plagued years, but a change of scenery can still do him some good.

Given his age (24), skillset and athleticism, Young probably makes the most sense out of any player on this list for the Jaguars to acquire. Given his past seasons, he shouldn't cost as much, either.

Montez Sweat, DL, Washington Commanders

Another Commanders player in the final year of his deal, Sweat would make sense if Washington is having a firesale as some have suggested.

Another freak athlete, Sweat is one of the most intriguing pass rushers in the league. Outside of a season marred by injuries, he has accounted for at least seven sacks every year since he was drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Sweat has played in and started 66 games through the course of his career and has accounted for 34.5 sacks, 84 quarterback hits and 45 tackles for loss.

The Jaguars can use a player with his skillset, the issue will be whether or not he would be interested in signing with a team without a new contract, something it would appear Young is more wont to do given his past seasons.

Brian Burns, OLB, Carolina Panthers

The Panthers executed their fifth-year option on Burns ahead of this season and he is owed a total of $16 million through 17 games. With nearly half the season in the books, the Jaguars would be responsible for only a small portion, or half of the $16 million.

Burns said at the start of the season that he did not plan to negotiate for a new deal within the season, but had been outspoken about wanting to be paid.

The Panthers reportedly declined a massive haul for Burns last year but could be looking to recoup some picks after spending most of them on first-overall pick quarterback Bryce Young. The Panthers are currently 0-6, too, meaning it will be a couple of years prior to them being back in legitimate contention.

Burns has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL throughout his career in Carolina, accounting for 42 sacks, eight forced fumbles and 50 tackles for loss in 70 games.

Baalke has dealt with Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer before, too, trading receiver Laviska Shenault to the team ahead of the 2022 season.

Jalen Mills, CB, New England Patriots

This is a bit of a change in direction as the other players on our list are pass rushers.

Jalen Mills, an eighth-year veteran currently with the Patriots, would be an intriguing option for the Jaguars considering their injuries and depth issues within the defensive backfield.

Gregory Junior, Christian Braswell and Tyson Campbell are three out of six of the team's corners that have dealt with hamstring issues this year. While they are all going to be back at some point this year, there is some concern about the depth behind them.

Mills has played the last three years in New England but began his career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016 as a seventh-round draft pick, the year Jaguars coach Doug Pederson was hired as the Eagles' head coach. He played for Pederson through the 2020 season.

In his career, Mills has played multiple positions, including in the slot, outside and at safety. Though he hasn't been a shut-down player, he could be a dependable player coming off the bench due to injuries and he has familiarity with the team.

He's accounted for 52 pass breakups and seven interceptions with 76 starts in his career. With the Patriots having a down season and Mills at least a bit disappointed about his playing time, this could make sense. While he wouldn't get much playing time in Jacksonville, barring injury, going from 2-5 to 5-2 might be a nice consolation.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X,  formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 2023 NFL trade deadline: Will the Jaguars upgrade with Young or Burns?