Jason Burgos
A new rumor just opened the door for the San Francisco 49ers or Kansas City Chiefs to land the Pro Bowl-level wide receiver they could really use during Round 1 of the NFL Draft tonight.
Heading into the opening round of this week’s NFL Draft, there has been an unusual amount of trade chatter. With this year’s quarterback class being weak, teams in the top 10 are far more willing to trade down and get more draft assets this year or next.
However, there have also been reports about teams without a first-rounder trying to get a selection tonight, or teams looking to add another pick late in Round 1. The Jacksonville Jaguars are a part of that group, and they are apparently dangling the player they took late in Round 1 two years ago to get a pick on Thursday.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, “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.”
Opportunity for 49ers or Chiefs to make Brian Thomas Jr. trade tonight emerges
There are four teams with picks late in Round 1 who would be intrigued by giving up their selection for the one-time Pro Bowl. Those franchises are the San Francisco 49ers (Pick 27), Kansas City Chiefs (Pick 29), Buffalo Bills (Pick 26), and New England Patriots (Pick 31).
The Chiefs targeting Thomas Jr. makes sense since they also have the ninth pick on Thursday night, and they badly need a legitimate go-to receiver. Thomas in Kansas City could bring the Chiefs offense back to the dominant force it was early in their dynasty.
With Brandon Aiyuk’s future in San Francisco up in the air, the 49ers giving up their lone first-rounder for Thomas Jr. would be a smart decision. They may be waiting for this exact opportunity before officially releasing the receiver.
The Bills and Patriots are both fits for Thomas Jr. However, the pair of AFC East teams have been heavily linked to an AJ Brown trade and could choose to hold on to their pick and wait until the Philadelphia Eagles star officially hits the open market, as rumored, after June 1.
Thomas Jr. is available after 2025 showed that he is a bad fit for the offense of head coach Liam Coen. In his rookie season, he earned Pro Bowl honors (1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns) and has a very affordable contract for the next two years.
