With NFL teams cutting rosters down to 53 players, a flurry of trades has been made. On Wednesday, another minor trade was made with the Detroit Lions sending veteran wide receiver Tim Patrick to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars sent a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the Lions for Patrick.
The 31-year-old receiver spent the beginning of his career with the Denver Broncos before coming to Detroit. The veteran missed the 2022 season with a torn ACL and then the 2023 season with a torn Achilles in a pair of crushing blows.
In 2024, Patrick caught 33 passes for 394 yards with three touchdowns, and the Lions re-signed him in the offseason to add depth to the receiving corps. Now, he joins the Jaguars and gives Trevor Lawrence another mouth to feed.
Here are the grades for the trade for both the Lions and Jaguars.
Lions win in Patrick trade
For the Lions, this trade makes sense. Detroit has Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams entrenched as the starting wide receivers. Kalif Raymond is also back, and they have some solid tight ends with Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright.
The running back room consists of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, arguably the best 1-2 punch in the league, so Jared Goff has a lot of options.
Moreover, the Lions selected Arkansas WR Isaac TeSlaa in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. In the preseason, TeSlaa has turned heads with 10 receptions for 146 yards and three touchdowns, so there is a lot to like about the former Razorbacks receiver.
Another TD (and the worm!) from Isaac TeSlaa 🦁
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/OGx6NrPUIE
— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2025
Moving on from Patrick gives the Lions a chance to give TeSlaa more reps. They also selected Georgia WR Dominic Lovett in the seventh round of the draft, and he caught seven passes for 45 yards in the preseason.
They could've cut Patrick, but instead they find a trade partner, get a draft pick in return, and open the way for a pair of rookies to see more action in a win-win move.
Trade grade: A
Jaguars make savvy move by landing the veteran WR
For the Jaguars, all the talk has been around Brian Thomas Jr. and rookie Travis Hunter, and rightfully so. Thomas broke out as a rookie with 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as Lawrence's favorite receiver. Tight end Evan Engram isn't in town anymore, and while Hunter has big-play ability, it remains to be seen how his body will hold up playing both sides of the ball.
The Jaguars WR room after that is a mixed bag: Dyami Brown, Austin Trammell, and Parker Washington.
So, the Jaguars acquiring Patrick via a trade for a late Day 3 pick next season is a smart move.
According to ESPN's depth chart, Patrick is the behind Hunter in the WR room with Thomas, Hunter and Brown listed as the first three. Plus, it gives Lawrence a veteran option in the passing game, something they are missing with Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis both leaving in the offseason.
Patrick should be a solid depth piece, and acquiring him for a late pick in 2026 is a solid move for Jacksonville, although it's worth wondering who else they could've landed instead.
Trade grade: A-
