Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has become one of the biggest names to watch ahead of the NFL trade deadline on November 10.

On the latest episode of 13 Personnel, my co-hosts Austin Stanley, Easton Freeze, and I ran a handful of trade simulations for the young receiver. Three landing spots kept coming up: the Los Angeles Rams, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Every one of these packages is hypothetical. A trade simulator signing off on a deal doesn’t mean either front office would pick up the phone, so keep that in mind.

If you ask me, there is zero doubt that Thomas is getting traded. He hasn’t been productive for two years now. The bigger question is where he lands.

Why the Rams make the most sense

My pick is Los Angeles. The Rams need a legitimate No. 2 wide receiver. There’s a decent possibility Davante Adams is done for the rest of the season with the torn hamstring he’s dealing with.

L.A. has a superstar in Puka Nacua and a long list of tight ends. Outside of that, there isn’t a true No. 2 option on the roster unless you’re comfortable leaning on Jordan Whittington or Tutu Atwell.

Freeze jokingly tossed out rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson as a candidate. Technically, I guess he could fill that role, which is hilarious to say out loud.

That isn’t what this offense needs. The Rams need a receiver who can press vertically and win outside the numbers, the way Adams did as a ball winner. I think Thomas can still be that player.

My offer was a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick. Easton immediately pushed back. He pointed to the Houston Texans sending a second-round pick for Marvin Harrison Jr., a receiver from the same draft class. That comparison makes my price look light, and I understand the price tag might not work.

The simulator accepted it, though, and the fit is too clean to ignore.

The Steelers are a long shot worth considering

Easton went in a different direction with Pittsburgh. He has seen reports from Mark Kaboly, who covers the team on the ground, and believes NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero mentioned it at some point as well. Both suggested the Steelers will at least look at receiver options.

It isn’t a perfect fit. The Aaron Rodgers timeline is this year and this year only. Pittsburgh already traded for Michael Pittman before the season. Roman Wilson was starting to break out before he got hurt, and Easton noted that rookie Jeremy Bernard has looked sneaky good for a couple of weeks.

On the other hand, the Steelers have the draft capital. Austin pointed out that they hold two third-round picks, two sixth-round picks, and two seventh-round picks. A third and a sixth that didn’t originally belong to them could do it.

Austin also made the case that Thomas would give Pittsburgh a weapon for life after Rodgers, whether the team believes in Drew Allar or Will Howard.

Easton still wasn’t sold.

“I don’t like making this kind of trade for a team that seems to have no plan beyond the season,” Freeze said.

A Chiefs swap built around Josh Simmons

Kansas City has been the most common destination for Thomas, including on a previous episode of our show. Easton’s gut tells him the Chiefs won’t pull the trigger. However, I had another version that sends offensive tackle Josh Simmons back the other way.

In this iteration, the Chiefs send Josh Simmons and a 2027 third-round pick to the Jaguars. In return, Kansas City gets Thomas, a 2027 fifth-round pick, and a 2028 sixth-round pick that originally belonged to Arizona.

Here’s why I think it’s reasonable.

Jacksonville was already dealing with below-average left tackle play, and right tackle Anton Harrison is now hurt as well. Both tackle spots are question marks for a team that wants to make a strong push for a Super Bowl this year. Simmons was a first-round pick, and he was good as a rookie when he played. For a stretch, it looked like the Chiefs had found someone to protect Patrick Mahomes for the next decade.

The hang-up is everything that has happened since. Easton doubts the Jaguars have a much better grasp of the situation than we do from our couches. Simmons missed roughly half of last season without a clear public explanation, and he is now dealing with a back injury. We’ve also heard that he was kicked out of a meeting by the head coach and the quarterback.

If Jacksonville can get comfortable with those questions, this is the ultimate deal for two players who need a change of scenery. When you don’t have a playable tackle, maybe that risk is worth taking. The Chiefs, meanwhile, would finally get the vertical receiver everyone keeps sending their way.

We will see how things play out before the deadline.