Raiders trade idea gets Fernando Mendoza a future WR1 in deal with Jaguars originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
In the 2026 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders selected Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick, with the hopes that he'd be their QB of the future. While he's yet to start a game in 2026 for the Raiders, there's still plenty of time left in 2026 to get a few starts.
But when he does play, his wide receiver room will be a bit of a question mark. Tre Tucker has been great to begin the season, but Jalen Nailor and the rest of the receivers have been underwhelming at best. Fortunately, there's a way to fix that this season.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell presented a trade idea for the Raiders that might actually work to give Mendoza a new No. 1 WR. The idea would have the Raiders landing Jacksonville Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. in a blockbuster mid-season deal.
Raiders trade idea lands Brian Thomas Jr. from Jaguars for one draft pick
"Raiders get: WR Brian Thomas Jr.; Jaguars get: 2027 second-round pick," Barnwell proposes.
While there might be other teams in more of a win-now mode that might have interest in Thomas, like the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Rams, the Raiders might actually make the most sense for Thomas.
For one, the Raiders really could use a true No. 1 pass-catching option, and Thomas would be just that. He's a downfield option who'd make for a nice complement to Tucker and Brock Bowers in this offense.
Besides, the Raiders are looking more toward the future and would be more likely to meet the Jaguars asking price of a second-round pick, like what the Houston Texans gave up to land Marvin Harrison Jr. from the Arizona Cardinals.
While it's expensive, getting Mendoza all the help he can get for when he takes over this QB position makes a lot of sense.
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Also, from the Jaguars' perspective, while they would be trading Thomas in the AFC, it's to a team that, more likely than not, won't be a playoff team in 2026, so they might not be burned by him in the playoffs.
While Las Vegas might be able to utilize that second-round pick well in next year's draft, taking a chance on Thomas, who still has a few years left on his rookie contract, would make sense.
This is year three for Thomas, and with a fourth season and a fifth-year option on the table, the Raiders would have a few more seasons to give Thomas a go in this offense with Mendoza.
If this is a move that they would make over the offseason, why not do it now and help Mendoza mesh with Thomas as soon as possible? This trade idea from Barnwell would make a lot of sense, and isn't unrealistic either.
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