The trade chatter involving Brian Thomas Jr. has died down the past couple months. Sure, he was brought up in a proposal to acquire A.J. Brown. But other than that, the Jaguars have made it clear that they have no intentions of cutting ties with the 2024 first-round pick.
Sure, Thomas is coming off an underwhelming campaign, but he looks like a whole different player. The Jags are confident that he can rediscover the form that made him a rookie sensation in the NFL. However, Brent Sobleski thinks that they're better off trading him before the start of the 2026 season.
The Jaguars are being urged to trade Brian Thomas Jr.
Brent Sobleski drew up a list of to-do things for each NFL team the remainder of the offseason. For the Jaguars, he says they need to trade Brian Thomas Jr., noting that they can afford to move on from him because they're stacked at receiver.
"With Jakobi Meyers' ascension to WR1 after being acquired midseason, Parker Washington's late-season surge and Travis Hunter's return to the lineup, Thomas is expendable," Sobleski wrote. "Plus, another organization should pay handsomely for a 23-year-old wide receiver with three more controllable seasons."
The prospect of getting a second or even a first-round pick in exchange for Thomas Jr. is alluring, especially when you take into account that Jacksonville could use it to address a perceived roster void such as the interior defensive line or the pass rush. Having said that, the Jags have no incentive to trade No. 7 any time soon.
For starters, Jakobi Meyers isn't truly the No. 1. He did get more targets as soon as he landed with the Jags, but that was because he was their most sure-handed receiver, and they were dealing with drops at the time.
While Meyers will still have a big role in his full season in Duval, he won't be the only receiver who'll get many targets his way. Parker Washington is coming off a breakout season and could post even better numbers, as the coaching staff wants him to run more vertical routes.
Travis Hunter, on the other hand, will play cornerback full-time but will still line up at receiver often. Rookie CJ Williams and Josh Cameron are also in the mix, so there's no doubt that Jacksonville has no shortage of options at receiver. That said, Thomas has a unique skill set that isn't hard to replicate.
The Jaguars are better off keeping Brian Thomas Jr.
While the Jaguars have some pretty good receivers, none of them can stretch the field like Brian Thomas Jr. Sure, he needs to cut down on the drops and be willing to route runs in the middle of the field. However, he gives Jacksonville a weapon that opposing defenses can account for.
HIs deep threat capabilities draw coverage away from his teammates and prevents teams from stacking the box. Why would the Jaguars move on from a playmaker like that, especially when you take into account that he'll have manageable cap hits the next two seasons. Add the fifth-year option, and Jacksonville has no incentive to move on from him.
The Jaguars would have no shortage of suitors if they placed Brian Thomas Jr. on the trade block, but they know just how much of a game-changer he is and won't simply let him walk out of the building.
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