The Jacksonville Jaguars have made it clear several times that they plan to keep Brian Thomas. Jr., and why wouldn't they? He's coming off a somewhat disappointing season but has previously shown the ability to take over games. On top of that, he still has two years left on his affordable rookie deal, so the Jags don't have an incentive to trade him.
But precisely because of how dominant Thomas was, along with his inexpensive cap hits, teams may want to pursue him via trade. Heck, an NFL executive says he wouldn't be surprised if he's moved on Draft Day. That's led Gary Daveport of Bleacher Report to take a look at some potential fits for the 2024 first-round pick.
The Jaguars trade Brian Thomas Jr. to the Commanders for the 7th overall draft pick
Gary Davenport drew up a list of potential trade destinations for Brian Thomas Jr. Some of them, such as the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets, have been routinely brougth up in the past. However, there were landing spots that haven't been discussed nearly as much. The Washington Commanders, in particular, stand out.
Davenport suggests the Commanders outright send the seventh overall selection to Jacksonville in return for Thomas, pointing out that they need to give quarterback Jayden Daniels more weapons apart from Terry McLaurin. Here's the skinny.
"The 2025 season was a disaster for the Washington Commanders," Davenport wrote. "After making a surprise run ot the NFC Championship Game in 2024, the team imploded—injuries blasted the roster, the defense was terrible, and the team won just five games."
Davenport continued, "Now the Commanders are in the midst of a pivotal offseason as Jayden Daniels prepares for Year 3 of his professional career. The team has multiple needs on both sides of the ball—including a wide receiver to pair with Terry McLaurin (Lotta lonely Ohio State wideouts in the NFL this year).
Back in 2024, Daniels had one of the most impressive rookie seasons in NFL history but was held back by injuries. Couple that with the fact that offensive coordinator Kliff Kinsbury left earlier this year, and Washington will need to find ways to get the most out of their franchise quarterback. That's where Thomas could come in handy.
New Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough will have his work cut out, but having a player of Thomas' caliber drawing coverage away from other targets would make things substantially easier for him and Daniels.
In Jacksonville, Thomas showed big-play capability and the ability to stretch the field. Although he dealt with inconsistency and drops last season, he showed in his rookie campaign that he can take over games, reeling in 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns.
Why would the Jaguars trade Brian Thomas Jr. to the Commanders?
At this point, trading for Brian Thomas Jr. may be a better bet than drafting a rookie receiver. Moreover, he has cap hits of $3.9 million and $4.6 million in 2026 and 2027, respectively, so absorbing his contract wouldn't be cost-prohibitive. When you add his past production to the mix, it's easy to see why teams may be willing to fork out a first-round selection.
The issue here is that Davenport suggests the Commanders give up the seventh overall selection, and it's hard to say with confidence if they would be open to trading it in exchange for Thomas. If they did, the Jaguars would have something to think about.
While keeping Thomas makes sense, precisely because of his deep-threat skills and his contract, they could afford to trade him because they have Travis Hunter, Jakobi Meyers, and Parker Washington in the mix. Furthermore, the seventh-overall selection would give them access to the best players in this year's class, whether it's linebacker Sonny Styles or edge David Baley.
The truth is that this would be an opportunity the Jaguars could regret passing on, even if it doesn't particularly likely.
Grade: A