The Cleveland Browns have already taken some significant steps to address their positions of need this offseason. They have acquired two potential starting offensive linemen, and reacted to the loss of one top-tier linebacker by adding another one.
They have not yet made a move at wide receiver, however, which is another area that could use an upgrade. With the free agent market not seen as the proper avenue for Cleveland, and the 2026 NFL Draft not guaranteed to have a receiver available when the Browns are ready to choose, a trade may be the most viable option to improve their situation.
According to insider Tony Grossi, Browns general manager Andrew Berry is pursuing Pro Bowl wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. in a potential trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Berry also is pursuing a trade for Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who is drawing interest from multiple teams, per reports,” Grossi wrote.
A first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Thomas was a contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year as he posted 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns in his dynamic first season. In 2025, those numbers fell off significantly to 48 catches for 707 yards and just two TDs.
After acquiring wide receiver Jakobi Myers from the Las Vegas Raiders at this year’s trade deadline and then signing him to a contract extension, and seeing Parker Washington emerge late in the year and into the playoffs, the Jaguars seem to be actively shopping Thomas this offseason. In addition, Travis Hunter, who wound up as part of Cleveland’s trade down with Jacksonville at the 2025 NFL Draft, will return from a knee injury at some point as well.
This could lead to a bargain asking price for Thomas, who, if he returns to his rookie form, would immediately become Cleveland’s top wideout. As it stands now, Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and Isaiah Bond led a group that was the least productive in the NFL last season.
The potential trade may include Cleveland’s No. 24 overall pick in the first round of this year’s draft, which could be seen as more than fair for someone like Thomas, who has already established himself in the league.
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