The San Francisco 49ers are looking to add a wide receiver. The 49ers are also in a position where most of the top wideouts might be off the board by the time they’re on the clock. There are plenty of plausible scenarios in which the Niners find themselves on the clock and don’t like any of their options.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Jacksonville Jaguars are potentially looking to move back into the first round. Jacksonville’s first pick isn’t until the 24th pick of round two. To do so, they
could use a player who we believe needs a change of scenery:
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.
Much of it depends on whether a player the Jaguars covet is available as the first round moves past the first 20 picks or so — and whether there’s a team in that window that would prefer to trade its first-round pick for Thomas.
In this hypothetical scenario, the 49ers would give Jacksonville the 27th overall pick in exchange for Thomas Jr. and the 56th overall pick. Thomas Jr. has two years left on his rookie contract, so he’d be cheap for another couple of years. Plus, there are no guessing games about whether he is an NFL player. Thomas Jr. proved he can be productive. He just needed Mac Jones to throw him the ball. Thomas Jr. averaged six receptions for 76.2 yards with Jones as his quarterback in 2024.
With San Francisco, Thomas wouldn’t need to be the No. 1. Ideally, he’d grow into the WR2, or even WR1, but a player that big and fast being your WR3 or WR4 means you have an embarrassment of riches at the position.
Would there be any other picks involved in the trade? Is it as simple as a pick swap and a player? That’s where the conjecture takes a turn. As Mike Florio said, the Jags need to be in love with whoever falls to No. 27 enough to pull the trigger on a deal.
The 49ers would likely be able to pick up another Day 2 pick. They are the ones with the leverage. According to trade charts, the difference in moving back from 27 to 56 is a late second-round pick. At this stage, that might be Thomas Jr. If I’m John Lynch, it’s Thomas Jr. and one of the three third-rounders Jacksonville has. Take it or leave it.
