In spite of his struggles dating back to last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars aren't interested in trading Brian Thomas Jr., and understandably so. The 2024 first-round pick has shown he can take over games in the past. Having said that, he's failed to come through for the Jags this season, most recently against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5. This has led to a reduced role.
When you factor in that rookie Josh Cameron is quickly becoming a pivotal piece on offense, Jacksonville may be inclined to change its stance on Thomas Jr. for the right price.
Just recently, the Arizona Cardinals traded Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Houston Texans in return for a second-rounder. Thomas has been a more productive player in the pros, so maybe a team in dire need of help at receiver may be willing to give up that kind of compensation for him. An NFL writer thinks the San Francisco 49ers fit the bill.
The Jaguars send Brian Thomas Jr. to the 49ers in this trade pitch
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report drew up a list of trades that would put some of the best NFL teams over the top. He suggested the 49ers trade for Brian Thomas Jr., noting that he would give an injury-marred wide receiver corps a massive boost.
"The San Francisco 49ers have battled through a myriad of injuries to emerge as one of the season's top Super Bowl contenders, but the attrition their receiving corps has suffered will likely require a trade for someone like Brian Thomas Jr. to fix," Knox wrote.
On the other hand, Knox argues that trading for Thomas won't come cheap, citing the Marvin Harrison Jr. trade as a possible baseline to get a deal done with Jacksonville.
Said Knox, "The Niners would likely need to give up a similar package to the 2027 second- and sixth-round picks that Houston sent the Arizona Cardinals for Harrison and a seventh-rounder, but that could be worth it for a young wideout with so much potential."
The Niners signed Mike Evans in the offseason to give their offense a boost. He's most definitely delivered despite the fact he's dealt with injuries in his short stint in the Bay Area, reeling in 24 receptions for 326 yards with three touchdowns.
But aside from Evans, San Francisco doesn't have any weapons. Sure, Christian Kirk (remember him?) just had his window to practice opened after starting the season on the Injured Reserve. However, he's missed substantial time with injuries the past few years, so it would make sense for the 49ers to add reinforcements to their receiving unit. Thomas makes sense.
In San Francisco, Thomas would get a fresh start and a chance to play for Kyle Shanahan, one of the league's offensive masterminds. Meanwhile, Jacksonville would get a high-draft pick to address one of their pressing needs in 2027.
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Grade the pitch: the Jaguars trade Brian Thomas Jr. for a 2nd-round pick
The Jaguars could most definitely afford to trade Brian Thomas Jr. Although he had 82 catches for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns as a rookie, he's been highly inconsistent the past two years, and his drops have been an issue.
Meanwhile, rookie Josh Cameron has seemingly got ahead of Thomas on the depth chart. By trading Thomas to San Francisco, not only would they acquire a second-rounder but would also pave the way for Cameron to get an even bigger role on offense. Similarly, CJ Williams, another sixth-round pick in 2026, could earn playing time.
You could make the case that Thomas is too talented to give up on him, but how much patience are the Jaguars going to have with him? At some point, they just have to pull the plug on him, and if they can get a second-round pick in exchange for him along the way, why wouldn't they do it?
Grade: A-
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