ESPN’s bold Brian Thomas Jr. trade idea could net the Jaguars a massive draft haul

The Jacksonville Jaguars had one of the best offenses in the NFL last season because they spared no expense to add reinforcements throughout the year. They first beefed up the offensive line in free agency, drafted a pair of running backs to bolster their backfield, and stacked their wide receiver corps with as much talent as possible.

Although the Jags struggled with drops early in the season, it all changed once they traded for Jakobi Meyers at the deadline. With the former North Carolina State Wolfack in the mix, the Jacksonville offense was firing on all cylinders to finish the year. What's impressive about their success is that Travis Hunter missed nearly half the season with a knee injury. He's expected to come back in 2026, so his return could take the passing game to new heights.

On the other hand, Hunter's return, along with Parker Washington's ascension, has raised questions about Brian Thomas Jr.'s future in Jacksonville.

ESPN suggests the Jaguars could trade Brian Thomas Jr. this offseason

Bill Barnwell of ESPN put together a list of receivers available who may be available this offseason. He brought up Brian Thomas Jr. as a potential trade target, noting that the Jags could afford to shop him due to the presence of Travis Hunter, Jakobi Meyers, and Parker Washington.

"The Jaguars might prefer to keep Thomas to see if they can coax a resurgent year out of the 23-year-old," Barnwell wrote. "But with Travis Hunter returning to the lineup next year, Coen might prefer to move forward with Washington, Meyers, Hunter, and either an outside addition or somebody like Tim Patrick (a pending free agent) as the wideout core."

Later in his column, Bill Barnwell argues that he wouldn't give up Thomas for anything lower than a first-round pick, adding that the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns would be logical trade partners due to their need for receiver help.

"There's no reason for the Jaguars to trade Thomas unless they can land something significant in return. To me, that would be a first-round pick. And there should be teams at the bottom of the first round willing to send that sort of compensation back to Jacksonville," Barnwell wrote.

It's also worth noting that offensive coordinator Grant Udinski is a candidate for the head-coach openings with both clubs, so trading for Thomas would make sense if he lands with either club.

Thomas hauled in 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns as a rookie. However, he struggled with drops in 2025. To make matters worse, an ankle injury forced him to miss three games. While the former LSU Tiger showed improvement in the second half of the season, he still left a bit desired and finished with just 48 catches for 707 yards with two touchdowns, a notable dropoff in production.

Couple that with the fact that the Jaguars gave Jakobi Meyers a three-year, $60 million deal not long after trading him, and Thomas has become the subject of speculation.

The Jaguars have an intriguing trade chip in Brian Thomas Jr.

Around the trade deadline, there was talk about the Jaguars potentially moving Brian Thomas Jr. until head coach Liam Coen made it emphatically clear he wasn't going anywhere. Following the season, he said the 2024 first-round pick was 100 percent in the team's plans. However, plans change all the time, and nobody will bat an eye if other clubs make inquiries about him.

Ideally, the Jags would love to keep Thomas, as Bill Barwell noted. That said, the prospect of getting a first-round pick would be too good to pass up, especially when you take into account that the team's brass has other needs to address in the offseason.

Granted, the offer would have to be a late first or an early second. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense to trade Thomas. You could argue that any potential suitors may not be willing to meet their price because Thomas is coming off a somewhat underwhelming season. However, teams saw what he was capable of doing when he took the league by storm as a rookie, so nobody will bat an eye if one pays what it takes to land him.

Ultimately, Brian Thomas Jr. did enough in 2024 to make you think that he can bounce back next season if he stays put. Having said that, a team could make an offer that the Jaguars won't be able to refuse.