From the moment the Jacksonville Jaguars traded for Jakobi Meyers at the deadline in 2025, Brian Thomas Jr. has become the subject of speculation. While general manager James Gladstone has called all the chatter involving the third-year wideout fraudulent, the noise hasn't died down. Quite the opposite.
Just hours before the NFL Draft, rumors are rampant that the Jags could move Thomas, with an NFL analyst suggesting that they could trade him for a first-round pick.
The Jaguars could trade Brian Thomas for a 1st-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk dropped intel that suggests the Jaguars could trade Brian Thomas Jr. on Draft Day in an effort to jump into the first round. Here's the skinny.
"As the draft approaches, we're told that the Jaguars may be trying to lay the foundation for a potential trade into the bottom of round one," Florio wrote. "The potential bait could include receiver Brian Thomas Jr."
While the Jaguars have made it clear that they want to keep Thomas around, the prospect of trading him isn't that far-fetched. Tony Boselli just made an appearance on 1010 XL and hinted at the possibility of trading into the first round, pointing out that if there's a chance to be bold, they're going to take it.
A first-round pick in 2024, Thomas took the league by storm as a rookie, hauling in 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns. Expected to join the upper-echelon of receivers in Year 2, he instead dealt with inconsistency and drops. The Walker, Louisiana native finished his sophomore campaign with 48 catches for 707 yards with just two touchdowns, a noticeable dropoff in production.
Couple that with the fact that Parker Washingon broke out in 2025, and Jakobi Meyers got an extension, and the Jags may be willing to move Thomas for the right price.
Why the Jaguars could trade Brian Thomas Jr. on draft day
There's no doubt that the Jaguars are a better team with Brian Thomas Jr. in the mix. Sure, he's coming off a down year, but he's shown game-altering capabilities, and his ability to stretch defenses allows his teammates to find favorable matchups. On top of that, the former LSU Tiger has cap hits of $3.9 million and $4.6 million in 2026 and 2027, so keeping him around isn't cost-prohibitive.
Having said that, the Jags have Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, and Travis Hunter in the mix. That makes the prospect of trading Thomas for a first-round pick too good to pass up, as it would allow the Jaguars to address an area of need with a premium selection. Moreover, a trade involving just Thomas would allow them to keep their second-round, which they could use to make further upgrades to the larger scale roster.
The truth is that it would only make sense to trade Brian Thomas Jr. for a first-round pick. And when you take into account that James Gladstone isn't afraid to take a wild swing, it shouldn't be ruled out.
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