Now that the Jacksonville Jaguars have traded for safety Jessie Bates, the odds of them trading wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. might have gone up, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Rapoport noted that while the Bates swing signals a team that is all-in, they could use the draft compensation from a Thomas trade to soften the blow, or potentially turn the trade into Bates for Thomas.
“The Jaguars, obviously, just acquired—just gave up a second-round pick for Jessie Bates,” said Rapoport on Good Morning Football. “Could they acquire a second-round pick or a similar type of draft pick compensation if they trade Brian Thomas and kind of do a one-for-one? It’s possible, but we’re going to be keeping our eyes on the Kansas City Chiefs as well.”
Rapoport notes that the Chiefs might be the team most desperate to trade something similar to a second-round pick for Thomas. The Jaguars traded a second-round pick this year and a fifth-round pick in 2028 for Bates.
Jacksonville Jaguars Could Turn Brian Thomas Jr. Into Jessie Bates Compensation
The expected draft compensation for Thomas is going to be around a second-round pick. Earlier in the season, the Houston Texans traded a second-round pick and a seventh-round pick for Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison has not been a hit for the Texans so far, and the league-wide perception is that the team overpaid for the former top five pick. So, the Jaguars might not get that exact compensation.
At the same time, even with Thomas struggling this season, he has a longer history of success than Harrison did. While Thomas did not go quite as high as Harrison, he was also a former first-round pick.
So, a former first-round pick with production could get something in the range of the Harrison trade. That could make the trade for Bates close to one for one.
Jaguars Add Jessie Bates at NFL Trade Deadline
At the end of the day the Jaguars need defensive help more than receiver depth at this point. Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington are quality starters. Rookie receiver Josh Cameron is already eating into the snaps of Thomas, so he could take on more work.
More than that, the Jaguars could play Travis Hunter on offense more. They could trade Thomas and still have four competent receivers. Meanwhile, they just placed Eric Murray on the IR, and Antonio Johnson has been banged up at safety.
On the defensive line, they just lost DaVon Hamilton for the season. They saw the line as an issue before losing one of their best starters. So, the Jags might not be done buying. That is why selling Thomas is starting to make more sense for them.
The trade deadline is Tuesday, November 10 at 4 PM EST.
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