Brian Thomas Jr. Draft-Day Trade Eyed by NFL Exec amid Jaguars Rumors

The Jacksonville Jaguars reportedly have a coveted trade piece that could be moved during the 2026 NFL draft later this month.

The Athletic's Mike Sando spoke to an executive from another team who predicted that the Jaguars could trade third-year wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. during the draft if a team loses out on one of the top wideout prospects in this year's class.

"The Brian Thomas situation is interesting," the exec said. "It's smart to hold onto him. He is too young to give up on that early. I could see him being moved on draft day, if people's favorite receivers get picked."

Thomas was rumored to be a trade candidate when free agency opened last month due to his dip in production in his second year. After producing 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie in 2024, he was limited to 48 receptions for 702 yards and two touchdowns in 2025 while playing under a new coaching staff led by Liam Coen.

This year's draft class is full of wide receiver prospects who could make an immediate difference at the next level. B/R's NFL Scouting Department listed four wideouts in the top 20 of its draft big board: Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson (No. 8), Ohio State's Carnell Tate (No. 9), USC's Makai Lemon (No. 12) and Texas A&M's Kevin Concepcion (No. 18).

It can be expected that there will be a team that doesn't land one of the top wide receivers in this year's class, and that could make it desperate enough to send a quality offer to the Jaguars to try to acquire Thomas.

The former LSU star still has some untapped potential, so it will be interesting to see if Jacksonville chooses to hold onto him or gets convinced to ship him away and watch him thrive with a new franchise.