tAfter requesting a trade on Thursday morning, 2024 Pro Bowler Jonnu Smith is now officially on the market. Smith had a career season with the Miami Dolphins last year, recording career highs in all major receiving categories under head coach Mike McDaniel. Smith is an underrated veteran tight end who could contribute to a number of passing offenses around the league. Here are 4 potential trade destinations that I think make sense for Jonnu Smith.
LA Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers entered camp with two mediocre veterans in Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin atop their tight end depth chart. Smith would be the best option among those 3 names for Justin Herbert to throw to, who still could use some more pass catching weapons outside of budding star Ladd McConkey. Quentin Johnston still has drop issues, and Dissly’s drop issues led to a bad INT in the AFC Wild Card game. Herbert needs more reliable pass catchers if the Chargers are serious about making noise in 2025.
Pittsburgh Steelers
This is the really obvious one. Pittsburgh NEEDS pass catchers badly. Right now, Pittsburgh has DK Metcalf, Pat Freiermuth, and a whole lot of not much else. Arthur Smith has worked with Jonnu Smith before, where it felt like he had the same target share as Kyle Pitts. The Smith Squared Connection could thrive in Pittsburgh if they figure out who is able to throw a football for them in 2025
Jacksonville Jaguars
While the Jaguars are high on incumbent starter Brenton Strange, a young QB like Trevor Lawrence would likely enjoy having a proven and reliable tight end like Jonnu. Former Jaguars TE Evan Engram had a 100+ reception season with Lawrence at the helm. While Smith probably wouldn’t reach those heights, it would be smart to pair him with a QB like Lawrence who loves targeting his tight ends. Adding Smith alongside BTJ and Travis Hunter gives Jacksonville an exciting core trio of pass catchers.
New York Giants
After drafting Jaxson Dart with the 26th overall pick, it would prudent for Joe Schoen and co. to surround him with more pass catching options. The current TE1 in New York is sophomore Theo Johnson, who showed some flashes but isn’t likely to be an impact player in the NFL. Tight end is one of the biggest needs on the Giants’ roster, and acquiring Smith would help address that need.
Carolina Panthers
Finally, my pick for my favorite Jonnu Smith landing spot is the Carolina Panthers. They have a few interesting tight end pieces like Tommy Tremble and Ja’Tavion Sanders, but both come with injury risks/inconsistency. In order to continue maximizing Bryce Young’s development, the Panthers front office should be willing to send a mid-to-late round pick for Smith in order to give him a reliable safety blanket at tight end.
If you have any predictions for where you think Jonnu Smith will be traded to, please let me know in the comments! If you enjoyed reading the article, please consider following us on MSN. Thank you for reading, and let’s get excited for the 2025 season!
