Last year, the Cleveland Browns pulled off one of the better NFL draft-day trades in recent memory for the team, moving down three spots to No. 5 and sending No. 2 to the Jaguars, who had zeroed in on two-way Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter as their top target. The Browns got No. 36 in the second round and No. 126 in the fourth round as well as the Jaguars’ first-rounder this year, which fell to No. 24 because Jacksonville had a major turnaround.
The Jags got Hunter, who played only seven games, as well as picks No. 104 and No. 200.
Now, the Jags have some seller’s remorse about entering Thursday’s NFL draft without a pick. According to Pro Football Talk, the Jags are willing to trade away receiver Brian Thomas Jr. to get a late first-round pick to bolster their roster.
Jaguars Seeking a Pick for Brian Thomas Jr.
From Mike Florio of PFT, a note worthy of consideration for the Browns: “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.”
There has been talk about Thomas all offseason, and the Browns were believed to be among the teams with an interest in adding him. But, as Florio points out, Jaguars GM James Gladstone emphatically shut down Thomas trade rumors by calling them, “fraudulent.”
Thomas was a first-round pick out of LSU in 2024, and played like a star in his rookie season, collecting 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns to earn a Pro Bowl spot. But then came Year 2 in Jacksonville, and Thomas seemed to lose all confidence. In 14 games, he caught 48 passes for 707 yards, and his drop percentage bolted from 5.3% to 11.0%.
Browns Could Make a Move on Brian Thomas Jr.
That’s why it’s believed the Jaguars would consider trading Thomas, who just never found a connection with quarterback Trevor Lawrence–Mac Jones had thrown most of the passes to Thomas in 2024, when Lawrence was injured. The Browns would make some sense and, indeed, were connected to Thomas in both rumor and speculation in March.
Thomas would be a buy-low option who is only 23 and has star ability. Browns reporter Tony Grossi noted in early March that the Browns were investigating a trade for BTJ. Bleacher Report also made a Browns-Thomas suggestion in an article titled, “7 Surprise Trades That Can Still Happen After Early 2026 NFL Free Agency.”
In it, the site lists, “Browns Acquire WR Brian Thomas Jr. from the Jaguars,” as one of the deals and adds, “The Browns desperately need help at wide receiver, with Jerry Jeudy leading the group. So, they may present a strong offer to acquire Thomas if he’s available. Remember, Cleveland has two 2026 first-round picks because of its deal with Jacksonville last year.”
Browns Badly Need WR Help at NFL Draft
Now, it is fair to question whether the Browns would cough up the No. 24 pick to take a gamble on Thomas–certainly, they would not make that deal straight up. But if the Jaguars bolster the package with another pick, or with an asset in the 2027 draft, that could change the Browns’ perspective.
No doubt, the Browns had the worst receiving corps in the NFL last year, and while it’s likely they’ll gamble on a rookie in the first round this year, it’s possible, too, they could gamble on Thomas.
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