The Las Vegas Raiders are in desperate need of a long-term No. 1 wide receiver who can eventually become best friends with rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Jacksonville Jaguars may be willing to provide just that type of player in Brian Thomas Jr. after a down year in 2025.
According to ESPN's Michael DiRocco, Parker Washington has been Trevor Lawrence's favorite target in practice and has always managed to get open. Thomas may start the season as the nominal No. 2 wideout, competing with the recently extended Jakobi Meyers and No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter.
It seems unlikely that all four players will be retained long-term, and Jacksonville won't trade Hunter, so Thomas Jr. would fetch the most in a trade. The Raiders must add as much talent as possible to help Mendoza, and Thomas Jr. would be the best receiver Las Vegas has had since Davante Adams.
Las Vegas Raiders should look into Brian Thomas Jr. trade after Jaguars' depth chart news
Last season, Raiders fans talked about a potential trade for Thomas Jr., and those ideas came up again earlier this offseason as Maxx Crosby trade rumors swirled. Now, the conversation could kick back up again with the news that Thomas Jr. isn't "the guy" in Jacksonville anymore.
The Jaguars could retain Thomas and lean on him, Washington, and Meyers as a three-man receiver room. But that would mean Jacksonville had already given up on using Hunter as a two-way player. The team doesn't seem to have done that just yet, which means one of that quartet could be moved.
Las Vegas has two Pete Carroll holdovers in Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton, who are still developing, but it seems unlikely that either of them is going to be a long-term No. 1 receiver. Same goes for Malik Benson. Thomas has had some ups and downs, but the highs from his rookie year are worth chasing.
The Jaguars have reportedly turned down multiple trade offers for Thomas, but they could have their opinion on him changed if the Raiders overpay. Even if they surrender some premium picks, they already have their franchise quarterback for cheap and spent a good chunk of change in free agency.
Thomas is a direct upgrade over Thornton, as his combination of verticality and speed would make him an instant starter on the outside. Pairing him with Brock Bowers over the middle, a new-look offensive line led by Tyler Linderbaum, and Klint Kubiak at the sticks could be enough to get this team back in business.
Jacksonville will likely continue to turn down Thomas trades in the short-term, but nothing is stopping John Spytek from at least asking about how realistic this move could be.
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