The Jacksonville Jaguars look to continue their rebuild and replace some key players lost this offseason.

As they look to add more talent in the 2026 NFL Draft, they also need some of their existing players to step up, including WR Brian Thomas Jr. Thomas Jr. followed up an historic rookie season with a worrying down year that has him as a trade candidate.

FOX Sports’ latest article has the Jaguars sending away Thomas Jr. while adding a key defender before the NFL Draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars trade Brian Thomas Jr. to the Buffalo Bills for a first-round pick in the latest proposal

FOX Sports’ Senior NFL Writer Ralph Vacchiano wrote up trades that every AFC team should make before the draft, and the Jaguars were an active participant. He proposed the Jaguars send Thomas Jr. to the Bills in exchange for their 2026 first-round pick (No. 26 overall).

“Yes, the Bills already got WR DJ Moore from Chicago for a second-round pick. But they need to do better for QB Josh Allen, so why not go all-in on their biggest need and turn it into a strength? The Jags say they won’t trade Thomas, even after a terrible season, but they don’t have a first-round pick, so if the Bills dangle their first-rounder, maybe Jacksonville will change its mind.

With Allen, two top receivers and RB James Cook, the Bills’ offense might be impossible to stop. And if they can finally end their Super Bowl drought, it would be well worth the price.”

The Jaguars don’t have a first-round pick after trading up for Travis Hunter in the 2025 NFL Draft, so recouping that with the No. 26 overall pick could be worth it. They still have Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington, and could replace Thomas Jr. in the first round with a prospect like Denzel Boston or Chris Bell.

The Jaguars also need to repair the defense after losing some key players in free agency this offseason. Vacchiano also had the Jaguars adding DT Daron Payne by trading two picks to the Washington Commanders to help on the line.

The Jacksonville Jaguars trade for DT Daron Payne in the latest proposal

The Jaguars need to continue adding to the defense, and Vacciano suggests the Jaguars trade their 2026 third-round pick (No. 88 overall) and their 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 124 overall) to the Commanders for their 28-year old DT Daron Payne.

Payne is in the last year of his contract and looks to be on his way out after the season. Trading two of their 11 draft picks for an established DT could be the move to pair him with Arik Armstead.

“Payne had 11.5 sacks in 2022 and looked like one of the best defensive tackles in the league. Since then, on some bad Washington defenses, he’s had just 11 sacks in three seasons. But he’s only 29 and his ceiling remains high, making him worth the gamble for the Jags. He’d give them the interior pass rush they were so obviously lacking last season. 

With Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen on the edge, Payne could make a big difference playing next to Arik Armstead in the middle. He’s in the final year of his contract, and due about $21 million, which could keep his trade price out of the first two rounds.”

The Jacksonville Jaguars still have plenty of moves they could make before the NFL Draft. Trading Thomas Jr. for a late first-round pick and adding another talented DT for a Day 2 and Day 3 pick might be worth doing. We saw how aggressive they were in last year’s draft, so let’s see if they get active again.