Potential Jaguars-Brian Thomas Trade Gets Major Update Hours Before NFL Draft

Brian Thomas Jr.'s name has been mentioned in trade discussions dating all the way back to the trade deadline in November.

After a breakout rookie season for the Jacksonville Jaguars in which he caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards, and 10 touchdowns, Thomas Jr. saw a pretty substantial drop off in production last year.

Though he missed a few games due to injury, Thomas Jr. was seemingly passed up on the depth chart by Parker Washington, and the Jags also drafted Travis Hunter No. 2 overall and used him at WR, and they acquired 1,000-yard receiver Jakobi Meyers at the deadline last year.

The 23-year-old could be on his way out of Jacksonville, as Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio revealed the Jags could trade Thomas Jr. to gain back the first-round pick in the 2026 draft they gave up in the Hunter trade last year.

"Last year, the Jaguars gave up this year's first-round pick as part of the effort to move up three spots to get Travis Hunter," Florio wrote. "This year, the Jaguars may be using a prior first-round pick to get another one.

"As the draft approaches, we're told that the Jaguars may be trying to lay the foundation for a potential trade into the bottom of round one. The potential bait could include receiver Brian Thomas Jr."

Teams that have been liked to Thomas Jr. include the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers.

Teams that have been linked to taking a WR in the draft include the Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints, Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, 49ers, and New England Patriots.

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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 3:43 PM.