NFL Trade Rumors: Jaguars DE Dante Fowler Drawing 'Serious Interest'

As Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline for the 2018 NFL trade deadline approaches, one name to keep an eye on is Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler Jr.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday afternoon that there is "serious interest" in the third-year pass-rusher:

Per Pelissero, the current asking price is high, though.

The third overall pick in 2015, the 24-year-old has quickly become one of the best young pass-rushers in the NFL. After missing his rookie season due to a torn ACL, he recorded 12 sacks in his first two years on the field, including eight a season ago. He also added a pair of postseason sacks while helping the Jaguars reach the 2018 AFC Championship Game.

This year, the 6'3", 255-pound lineman has eight combined tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble in seven games. He has, however, been dealing with a groin injury recently.

Even though Fowler took a big step forward in 2017, Jacksonville declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, noting that it wanted him to "earn" a long-term deal. That means his current contract is set to expire after this season, making him a free agent.

Jacksonville started the year 3-1, which included a 31-20 victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. That hot start has been followed by a four-game losing streak, leading the team to drop to 3-5 and into a tie for last place in the AFC South. After losing to the Houston Texans in Week 7, the Jaguars are two games back in the division and don't own the head-to-head tiebreaker as of now.