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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr trying to make a play during an NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts.
The New York Jets need to add another wide receiver, but how desperate are they to get one?
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report thinks they’re willing to overspend to get one. In a column for B/R, he proposed a blockbuster trade.
New York Jets receive: wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr and a 2026 third-round pick (No. 100 overall)
Jacksonville Jaguars receive: a 2026 first-round pick (No. 16 overall), a 2026 fifth-round pick (No. 179 overall), and a 2027 second-round pick
“The Jets are loaded for bear to get that quarterback in 2027, with three first-rounders. In the interim, the team should be looking to improve the situation that quarterback will be walking into. And outside Garrett Wilson, the pass-catching corps in New York is among the NFL’s weakest,” Davenport bluntly wrote.
“This price might seem steep given Thomas’ down 2025 campaign. But we’re talking about a 23-year-old receiver who has already had a better season than Wilson ever has, who is under team control at a reasonable amount through at least 2027,” Davenport added.
“Assuming that Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson are off the board at No. 16, Thomas is ostensibly better than any of the wideouts who are available this year. And who knows, with Wilson and Thomas out there, even Geno Smith might be marginally competent,” Davenport said.
That Would Be a Massive Price to Pay for the Jets
Holy overpay, Batman!
According to the NFL draft value chart, the combo of picks this trade projected the Jets to give up would equate to the No. 7 overall pick in the first round.
Thomas, 23, will turn 24 during the 2026 season. He entered the league as the No. 23 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Through two seasons in the pros, Thomas has had a spectacular campaign and an underwhelming one. Will the real BTJ please stand up?
That uncertainty with Thomas would make this a risky proposition at that price point for the Jets.
Some Alarming New Information
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY revealed that the Jets and Jaguars have had trade talks about BTJ.
Thomas is a really talented player, but you have to ask yourself, why is Jacksonville so motivated to move off of their Pro Bowl young pass catcher?
“Brian Thomas had one of the highest drop percentages in the league last year. I heard this from people in Jacksonville the last few days: he didn’t want to go over the middle last year. So that’s a quick way to fall out of favor with your new head coach, and so he was like a completely different player,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed on the “Jets Collective” podcast.
There is also a massive divide in what Thomas’ perceived value is on the trade market. The B/R projection had him valued as a first-round pick.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t give up the 44th pick though. I think that is a little high for him. That’s a second-round pick,” Cimini explained on the “Jets Collective” podcast. “I’m thinking more a third-rounder, they don’t have a third-rounder thanks to the Haason Reddick trade, but they could perhaps get one [if they] move around a little bit.”
Cimini said he would “take a swing on him” for the right price.
“He didn’t get 1,200 yards by accident in the first year. There is talent there. I don’t know if I’d give up [pick] 44. He has two more years under team control at a very team-friendly contract. That is very appealing,” Cimini added.
Thomas is owed $2.1 million guaranteed in 2026 and $2.8 million guaranteed in 2027, per Spotrac.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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