Rams Trading for Wide Receiver Brian Thomas Jr. Would Be a Mistake They Can't Afford

The Los Angeles Rams may be 2-4, but that doesn’t mean that general manager Les Snead is simply going to sit back and wave the white flag. On Wednesday, it was reported by ESPN’s Dan Graziano that the Rams will at least explore the possibility of trading for a wide receiver in the wake of Davante Adams being placed on injured reserve. 

It shouldn’t be a total surprise that the Rams aren’t just going to call it a season. Back in 2019, with the team at 3-3, the Rams made moves for Austin Corbett and Jalen Ramsey. Both players were key pieces in the team’s Super Bowl run in 2021. 

When the Rams were 3-3 in 2022, they were close to trading for Christian McCaffrey and Brian Burns. However, they were outbid for McCaffrey, and the Panthers weren’t ready to part ways with Burns at that time.

Brian Thomas Jr. Could Be a Tempting Trade Target for the Rams

Very few would be surprised if the Rams made a move. However, if they do make a trade, it needs to be the right one. A popular name that has surfaced is Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. 

Thomas Jr. would be a perfect replacement for Adams as the team’s “X” receiver and was originally drafted in the first round. He also plays for the Jaguars, whose general manager, James Gladstone, has a relationship with Snead. While an exciting name, trading for Thomas would also only dig the Rams into a deeper hole. 

Sometimes, the best moves are the ones that aren’t made. That was likely the case when the Rams didn’t acquire McCaffrey and the Panthers said no on Burns. The Rams went 5-12 in 2022 and the 2023 NFL Draft played a large role in the team’s quick turnaround. 

There’s nothing to confirm that the Rams have interest in Thomas. In fact, McVay said on Wednesday that the team isn’t even looking at wide receiver replacements. 

“That's not something that we've talked about right now,” said McVay. “We have some depth on our roster. Maybe we talked about the practice squad, but not anything externally.”

Whether McVay was honest in what he told the media can certainly be argued. However, there has been speculation about wide receiver options the Rams could be interested in, with Thomas being near the top of the list.

Brian Thomas Jr. Fits the Rams' Typical Trade Profile

There’s no doubt that Thomas would fit the type of player the Rams typically target in trades. The moves for Sammy Watkins, Austin Corbett, Dante Fowler Jr., Jalen Ramsey, and Kevin Dotson were all players who had fallen out of favor with their previous teams.

Rams Would Be Taking a Major Gamble on Brian Thomas Jr.

Thomas played just 21.1 percent of the Jaguars’ offensive snaps in Week 6 and doesn’t have a reception on five targets in the last two games. After a promising rookie season in which he had 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns on 87 receptions, he has just 57 receptions for 812 yards and three touchdowns since. 

Ever since the Jaguars moved on from Doug Pederson and hired Liam Coen, he simply hasn’t been the same player. Given that evidence, it’s worth questioning his fit since Coen and McVay come from the same offensive coaching tree. The schemes are very similar. 

Over the last two years, Thomas Jr. has ranked last in adjusted catch percentage via FTN Fantasy. Adjusted catch percentage is the rate of catchable targets converted into a catch. Among players with at least 15 targets this season, his 22.2 percent drop-rate is the highest in the NFL. Last season, he also ranked inside the top-5 in drop-rate at 9.1 percent. Thomas’ targeted success rate of 47.3 percent over the last two years ranks 78th out of 116 qualifying receivers. Much like Konata Mumpfield, Thomas struggles at the catchpoint. 

Matt Harmon of Yahoo Sports and founder of Reception Perception, which focuses on charting wide receivers, gave Thomas a pass for 2025 in his offseason profile. 

“Brian Thomas Jr.’s second season was a frustrating one. It included both dips in his play across the board in isolation and a role that continued to get scaled back as the season went on until his final profile looked merely that of a low-volume X-receiver,” wrote Harmon. “He’s a good press and man-beater who wins both on the vertical routes and helps clear space for his teammates. If he simply maintains this level of deployment and success as a route runner, while cleaning up his drops and contested-catch rate, he’d be a good and useful starting X.” 

However, we’re now one-third of the way into 2026, and it’s been much of the same. It’s possible that Thomas’ rookie year was the exception and what we’ve seen the last 1.5 years is the norm. This isn’t to say that the Rams couldn’t get the most out of Thomas or that a change of scenery couldn’t be beneficial. However, it’s also a massive risk, and arguably too much of a risk that the Rams can’t afford.

The Cost of Trading for Brian Thomas Jr. Is Too High for the Rams

After just one 1,000-yard season, the Rams traded for Sammy Watkins in 2017. The Rams traded a second-round pick and EJ Gaines for Watkins and a sixth-round pick. Watkins had 593 yards for the Rams and was not brought back the following year. 

Earlier this season, the Houston Texans traded a second and seventh-round pick for Marvin Harrison Jr. and a sixth-round pick. Harrison Jr. has never had more than 900 receiving yards in a season. 

Unlike Watkins and Harrison Jr., Thomas wasn’t taken inside the top five of his draft class. Still, he’s a former first-round pick and has more production than Harrison and Watkins had. His price point likely starts with a second-round pick unless the Jaguars are desperate to get rid of him, which doesn’t appear to be the case.

Looking at the 2027 NFL Draft, the Rams already don’t have a first or third-round pick. If they were to move off of the second-round pick, they wouldn’t draft until the fourth round. Given the state of the roster and pending free agents, the Rams may need their second-round pick to add young, cheap talent to replenish the roster. 

While the Baltimore Ravens gave up a 2028 second-round pick for Cam Jurgens, the Rams don’t have a 2028 second-round pick to give up. Considering their current roster situation, they also aren’t in a position to trade away a 2028 first-round pick.

The Rams may believe that adding a wide receiver can help turn their season around. At the same time, it needs to be one that fits their price point. The Rams got Kevin Dotson for a late-round pick swap and Austin Corbett for a fifth-round pick. A fourth-round pick may not get a flashy name like Thomas, but it could still get them what they need. 

This is a front office that has already invested significant resources into building this roster, and the results have been disappointing. Doubling down by sacrificing another valuable draft pick for a receiver who has struggled for the better part of two seasons would only compound the problem.

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