Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.'s trade cost revealed by ESPN

The Jacksonville Jaguars have just wrapped up an incredibly promising season that makes hope for the future strong.

One of the weirdest parts of their great year, though, is that Brian Thomas Jr. wasn't at the heart of it.

The uber-talented wide receiver was so good as a rookie in 2024. But in 2025, while the rest of the Jags were on the rise, Thomas was much quieter.

"The current front office, which has been very aggressive with its roster decisions, didn't draft Thomas," ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote in a new article on Thursday. "The 2024 first-rounder had an excellent rookie season, but he never really found a steady role in Liam Coen's offense, with external concerns that he wasn't showing the sort of physicality and commitment needed to thrive as an NFL wide receiver."

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Barnwell sees Thomas as a prime trade candidate this offseason.

"The Jaguars might prefer to keep Thomas to see if they can coax a resurgent year out of the 23-year-old, but with Travis Hunter returning to the lineup next year, Coen might prefer to move forward with (Parker) Washington, (Jakobi) Meyers, Hunter and either an outside addition or somebody like Tim Patrick (a pending free agent) as the wideout core," Barnwell writes. "Critically, a Thomas trade would return meaningful draft capital for a Jaguars team that traded its 2026 first-round pick to the Browns to acquire Hunter."

What would it cost to get Thomas for another team?

Barnwell says the Jags shouldn't settle for anything less than a first-round pick.

"There's no reason for the Jaguars to trade Thomas unless they can land something significant in return," Barnwell writes. "To me, that would be a first-round pick. And there should be teams at the bottom of the first round willing to send that sort of compensation back to Jacksonville. The Bills, who vanquished the Jaguars earlier this postseason, are an obvious fit. The Browns could justify sending Jacksonville's first-round pick back to the Jaguars to acquire a much-needed wideout for their quarterback of the future. The Jets could put together a package that adds up to something more than a late first-rounder. If the Jaguars do make Thomas available, there should be significant interest, even after an underwhelming 2025."

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Thomas surely wouldn't mind going to a contender like Buffalo. The Browns or Jets? That may be less fun.

The Jaguars may not make any moves, but it'll be fascinating to see if Barnwell is onto something here.

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