Receiver-needy team is obvious trade destination for Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr.

Thanks to some bold moves made by the Jacksonville Jaguars' new regime of head coach Liam Coen and GM James Gladstone, fans had lots to celebrate this past season.

An eight-game winning streak to end the regular season culminated in an AFC South title. Despite winning 14 games, though, the Jags left something to be desired when they got beat on Wild Card Weekend by the Bills.

Among two of Jacksonville's major issues entering the offseason, one is far easier to solve with acquiring talent. The other is more of an enigma.

After finishing third in the NFL in receiving yards as a rookie, Brian Thomas Jr. had a stunning sophomore slump. The wide receiver group is so stacked that Travis Hunter is moving to cornerback on a fuller-time basis. This could mean BTJ is on his way out of Duval County as well.

But it'd take something special for Gladstone to pull the trigger on a trade. We know the young exec isn't shy about making a deal (see: Travis Hunter trade). So who could be in the market for Thomas, and double as an appealing destination for him? One suitor stands out above the rest.

New Orleans Saints could soar to NFC South title with trade for Louisiana native Brian Thomas Jr.

Brian Thomas Jr. was born in Walker, Louisiana, and starred at Walker High School before proceeding to suit up and shine for the LSU Tigers in college. Set himself up to be a first-round pick.

The New Orleans Saints have Chris Olave and a whole lot of nothing much else at wide receiver. A prospective big payday on Thomas' second contract wouldn't really kick in until 2028, when ascending Saints quarterback Tyler Shough will still be on his rookie deal.

How about a homecoming for Thomas? I believe this trade package would be more than enough for Gladstone to accept the offer:

• Saints receive: WR Brian Thomas Jr., 88th overall pick
• Jaguars receive: 42nd overall pick, plus 2027 2nd- and 4th-round picks

Shough would be downright dangerous with a receiver tandem of Olave and Thomas. The NFC South is wide-open; the Carolina Panthers just won the division with an 8-9 record. This marks the final year that New Orleans' perpetual salary cap can-kicking will sting.

Yes, the Saints could stick and pick one of the top wide receiver prospects with the eighth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Or they could acquire Thomas on the cheap, know that he's flashed elite production before, position him to be a primary option alongside Olave, and spend that premium pick on, say, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles as Demario Davis' replacement.

NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah opines that it's a great draft to need a Day 2 cornerback. Let's see what the Jags can score in a post-BTJ trade mock draft in that area of serious need.

Day 2 2026 Jaguars mock draft after Brian Thomas Jr. trade

Round 2, Pick 42 — Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
Round 2, Pick 56 — Derrick Moore, EDGE, Michigan
Round 3, Pick 81 — Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee
Round 3, Pick 100 — Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State

Ran through the ol' PFF mock simulator on this one. You can't do much better than Chris Johnson and Davison Igbinosun to shore up the Jags' boundary cornerback depth. Let the best man start opposite Travis Hunter, and enjoy the depth the other provides.

Johnson allowed a 16.1 passer rating and posted a 91.7 PFF grade in zone coverage last season. Through Week 17, 68% of the Jags' defensive calls were zone-based Cover 3, Cover 4, and Cover 6 schemes. Igbinosun is sound in zone and even better in man coverage, and yielded a 42.6 passer rating in 2025.

Chris Brazzell is a 6'5" weapon who has more precision and attention to detail as a route-runner than the typical Tennessee wide receiver prospect in recent years. Not a bad vertical threat to emulate the main strength Thomas brings to the Jags' offense.

Finally, to address one of Jacksonville's obvious shortcomings, Michigan's Derrick Moore could flourish right away as a designated pass rusher. Moore also functions as insurance in case Travon Walker doesn't stick around beyond 2026. Not a bad alternative if the Jags' funds run out to target a free-agent veteran.