One of the major question marks that the Las Vegas Raiders have amid their ongoing training camp is whether their wideout group is good enough to be productive.
Tre Tucker and Jalen Nailor will get plenty of targets while the Silver and Black likely hope that Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr. can take a step in their development and emerge as reliable options for veteran QB Kirk Cousins and eventually Fernando Mendoza.
Nonetheless, in recent days, veteran free-agent wideouts have come off the market, with Deebo Samuel signing with the San Francisco 49ers and Stefon Diggs reportedly heading to the Washington Commanders.
As a result, could the Raiders look at the trade market and look for a wideout who fits their timeline? FanSided’s Wynston Wilcox has the Raiders as a landing spot for Jacksonville Jaguars‘ Brian Thomas Jr.
“Jacksonville hasn’t really shown interest in trading Brian Thomas Jr., despite his drop-off in the 2025 season,” Wilcox wrote in an Aug. 5 article. “For the right price, though, Las Vegas could have Fernando Mendoza’s favorite target in waiting.
“The Raiders need to add a lot of weapons to this offense. Though Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers are solid options to have, they need some true receiver threats and Thomas could be that for them.”
Raiders Have Question Marks at Wideout Before 2026 Season
Moreover, aside from Wilcox believing that Thomas could use a change of scenery to find his rookie form, he is one of the many NFL media members who aren’t buying the Raiders’ current wideout group as capable of producing.
“Las Vegas doesn’t really have any notable names in their receiver room, which is going to hinder their offense’s success,” Wilcox added in his article. “Was Diggs the best option for them? Probably not, simply because he’s at the end of his career and there’s not much value he can add to the Raiders.
“Thomas, however, is still on his rookie contract and still has potential. The impact he could have on this offense could expedite their rebuild, but it will be costly.”
Last season for the Jaguars, Thomas played 500 pass snaps and earned a 65.5 overall PFF grade. Moreover, the wideout hauled in 48 receptions on 88 targets for 707 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Thomas also averaged 14.7 yards per reception and generated 170 yards after the catch.
Brock Bowers Helping Las Vegas’ Linebacker Group
Meanwhile, the one reliable pass-catcher that the Raiders have is tight end Brock Bowers. Recently, linebacker Nakobe Dean noted that the tight end has made him a better linebacker, dating back to their time together with the Georgia Bulldogs during the 2021 season.
“I give Brock all the praise in the world,” Dean said while speaking to reporters on Aug. 4. “Even from, like I said, his days at Georgia when he came in as a freshman, I know he made me, Quay [Walker] and our whole linebacker group exponentially better.
“He’s doing the same here. The only thing he has to do is be himself. In practice and in the games, but especially in practice, him being himself is going to make us better as a linebacker core and as a defense.”
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