Even though the Jacksonville Jaguars tried their best to shut down trade speculation about Brian Thomas Jr., the noise isn't dying down. In fact, a report surfaced that the New York Jets could be targeting him ahead of draft day. Now, it takes two to tango, and just because a team is setting its sights on a player doesn't mean that a deal will get done.
Having said that, Thomas has previously shown big-play capability, so the Jets are probably not the only team that would love to trade for him. In fact, the Cleveland Browns also need wide receiver help. This is why it's not particularly surprising to see them being brougth up as a potential landing spot for the 2024 first-round draft pick.
Bleacher Report urges the Jaguars to trade Brian Thomas Jr. to the Browns
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report drew up a list of the five most plausible trades on draft day and suggests the Jaguars send Brian Thomas Jr. to Cleveland in return for the 24th overall pick, pointing out that the Browns need a receiver that can draw coverage away from Jerry Jeudy.
"The Browns desperately need a wide receiver, with the inconsistent Jerry Jeudy serving as the squad's top threat," Sobleski wrote. "Thomas can immediately enter Cleveland's lineup as WR1 and give whoever is at quarterback a quality target, particularly in the vertical game."
Sobleski argues that the Browns are going to get better value for Thomas than whatever receiver they could draft at No. 24, adding that a first-round pick is the market price to pay after the Jaylen Waddle trade.
"General manager Andrew Berry should look at the situation and realize Thomas is only 23 years old and the Browns aren't going to get a better wide receiver with the draft pick they currently hold. Besides, the market demands a first-round pick in return after the Denver Broncos surrounded one for Jaylen Waddle, who is four years older than Thomas," Sobleski wrote.
Later, Sobleski rightly points out that the Jags have made it clear that they aren't trading Thomas but suggests they could be trying to drive up his price.
For context, the Dolphins traded Jaylen Waddle and a fourth-round selection to the Denver Broncos in return for first, third, and fourth-round picks. While Waddle is more accomplished than Thomas, he's four years older. Moreover, the latter still has two years left on his rookie deal, so any team that traded for him would have him under contract at an affordable salary through 2027.
Thomas is coming off a somewhat down year, hauling in just 48 receptions for 707 yards with two touchdowns. However, he showed the ability to take over games, catching 82 passes for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns in 2024.
Couple that with the fact that the Jags have Travis Hunter, Jakobi Meyers, and Parker Washington in the mix, and it's easy to see why Thomas won't stop being brought up as a trade target.
Why the Jaguars would trade Brian Thomas to the Browns?
This isn't the first time a trade proposal involving Brian Thomas Jr. and the Browns has been discussed, and understandably so. Both teams would benefit: Cleveland would get a WR1, and the Jaguars would get a valuable draft pick to address the larger scale roster.
The Jags gave up their first-round pick as part of the Travis Hunter trade in 2025. Their earliest selection in 2026 comes at No. 56. While there still will be plenty of talent available left, the number of intriguing prospects they would have access to in the first round would be substantially higher. Jacksonville needs to address the interior defensive line and the pass rush. At No. 24, the team's brass would have no shortage of options to bolster either position group.
Of course, the Jaguars would have to give up Brian Thomas, but if they think they could grab a game-altering talent at No. 24, the deal would most definitely make sense.