Just like that, former Baltimore Ravens guard Daniel Faalele is on the move again. After reuniting with John Harbaugh on the New York Giants in free agency, you’d think he’d be safe. Nope.
The Giants dealt Faalele to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2027 sixth-round pick on Wednesday. That’s pretty good for a player who’s been one of the worst interior offensive linemen in football over the past two seasons. Things aren’t looking up for Faalele either, as in New York’s preseason opener, he submitted another impressively bad lowlight.
This comes just days after another former Ravens failed patch-job, and current Jaguar, Patrick Mekari underwent back surgery. The expectation is for him to come back at some point in 2026, but with him missing time, it makes sense to search for a guard with starting pedigree. The issue is, this is still Faalele we’re talking about.
Jacksonville Jaguars are going to learn a lesson Baltimore Ravens already learned
When two of the guards you might be leaning on in your offensive line room are Daniel Faalele and Patrick Mekari, you’re doing something wrong. Sure, Mekari is a Swiss Army Knife and can play all five positions, but he’s not a good starter. As for Faalele, that’s not a player you want running out there with your starting unit either.
The Ravens know that as well as anyone. Faalele and Mekari occupied both guard spots for the team in 2024, and while the offensive production was great, the play at guard was lackluster. Specifically, the duo struggled with consistency and penalties—a pain that plagued Baltimore all season long and into the playoffs.
The Jaguars invested too much in both of those guys, too. What they’ve done at their guard spot is a gamble that could backfire.
Last offseason, they signed Mekari to a three-year, $37.5 million contract. One year in, and that contract is starting to look pretty ugly. He earned a 52.1 overall grade in 2025, per Pro Football Focus (68th among 81 qualifying offensive guards).
Now, they’ve sold off a 2027 sixth-rounder for Faalele. Obviously, no one is going to lose sleep over trading a sixth-round pick, but you’re adding a net negative to your team. Depth is good, just not when it’s a player who will hurt your team when he's on the field more than help it.
And when you make that trade, the player you’re getting in return will almost certainly push for a starting job. It’s not guaranteed, as the Jaguars also have Wyatt Milum and Emmanuel Pregnon competing for reps, however, it’s looking like Faalele has somehow stumbled back into a starting position, at least for the time being.
If Faalele gets starts, it’s only a matter of time before it comes back to bite the Jaguars.
Add us as a preferred source on Google