In the aftermath of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars suddenly emerged as a potential trade destination for A.J. Brown, even though they weren't in need of immediate help at receiver. In the end, though, the three-time Pro Bowl nod ended up going to the New England Patriots, as it was projected all along.
While this is great news for Brian Thomas Jr., this doesn't bode well for the Jags, as they'll now need to contain Brown when they play the Pats in Week 3.
The Jaguars will have to deal with A.J. Brown when they play the Patriots
The Jaguars schedule is loaded with several tough matchups. The one against New England is one of them, as they'll have to face off against MVP runner-up Drake Maye. The 2024 first-round pick will give the Jacksonville defense one of its toughest tests of the year, as he'll now have a pretty good arsenal of weapons to work with.
A.J. Brown hightlights the group and understandably so. The Jags had to face him when he was with the Tennessee Titans from 2019 to 2021. In total, he's played six times against Jacksonville (two with the Eagles), reeling in 22 catches for 420 yards with two touchdowns. His average of 19.1 yards per catch shows that he's had success against the Jags throughout his career and should most definitely be a reason for concern.
But aside from Brown, the Patriots signed Romeo Doubs as a free agent. On the other hand, Mack Collins turned out to be a dependable target. Kayshon Boutte is also in the mix, but there's a chance the Patriots will trade him before the start of the season, so he may not be around by the time New England plays the Jags.
Either way, the Jacksonville secondary will have its hands full against Maye and the Pats offense.
The Jaguars will have a legitimate chance to beat the Patriots
There's no doubt that stopping A.J. Brown will be a massive challenge, but not all is lost. The Jaguars have enough talent on both sides of the ball to go toe-to-toe with New England. Moreover, they should be able to exploit a Patriots weakness.
The offensive line has been an issue for the Pats. It's one of the reasons they got steamrolled in the Super Bowl and drafted Caleb Lomu in the first round of the 2026 draft. If Jacksonville can exploit this matchup, it should be able to come out on top. With Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen in the fold, it's doable.
Hines-Allen and Walker give the Jaguars one of the most dominant pass-rush duos in the NFL. Of course, it will help if a No. 3 can step up in training camp. Similarly, the interior defensive line will need to do a good job of bringing the heat. Otherwise, the Patriots (and any other team next season) will have no trouble double-teaming Walker and Hines-Allen.
Either way, the Jaguars should feel good about their chances of trouncing the Patriots even after the A.J. Brown trade.
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