The Jacksonville Jaguars enter the 2026 season with as good of depth at wide receiver as they've had in quite some time. Naturally, that means that some of those receivers are going to be linked in trade talks. Brian Thomas Jr. is no exception to that rule.
While the Jaguars probably don't have any plans to trade Thomas anytime soon, if the team finds they don't need him before the trade deadline, sending him off somewhere and getting draft capital in return could make sense. A team that might make sense as a landing spot for Thomas could be the Las Vegas Raiders.
Why would the Jaguars trade Brian Thomas Jr.?
Funny enough, the Jaguars did business with the Raiders before last year's trade deadline, netting Jakobi Meyers in a deal with the silver and black. As Jags fans know, Meyers has been awesome with Jacksonville and overshadowed Thomas more often than not last season.
Thomas has proven that he can be an absolute baller when given the chance. The problem has been that he can struggle with his route-running in the middle of the field, and that's obviously a big thing for a receiver. The Jaguars have depth at the position too, so if trading Thomas was the right decision, they wouldn't be hit too hard by the loss.
You may also like: The Daniel Faalele trade reveals how the Jags feel about Wyatt Milum
Jaguars depth gives Brian Thomas Jr. trade talks new life
As for why the Raiders could make sense, they need all of the weapons they can get for rookie first overall pick Fernando Mendoza. That's exactly why Mike Luciano of Just Blog Baby, FanSided's Raiders site, linked Thomas to Sin City in the first place.
"The Raiders must add as much talent as possible to help Mendoza, and Thomas Jr. would be the best receiver Las Vegas has had since Davante Adams," Luciano wrote. "Pairing him with Brock Bowers over the middle, a new-look offensive line led by Tyler Linderbaum, and Klint Kubiak at the sticks could be enough to get this team back in business."
However, as Luciano points out at the end of the article, it's doubtful that Jacksonville parts ways with Thomas just yet. The depth at wide receiver might be good, but Thomas was someone the team drafted and developed, and they'll want to see if there's anything left in the tank for him.
If a trade does become an option, though, the Raiders make perfect sense for the former LSU product. He'd have a chance to join a rebuilding team with a young quarterback and hopefully build on that chemistry for years to come.
Add us as a preferred source on Google