It is no secret the Raiders’ wide receiver room is not very good. As a result, Las Vegas could be a popular destination for any wideouts traded before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell projected a trade that would send Brian Thomas Jr. from Jacksonville to Las Vegas. In return the Raiders would give up a second-round pick.
“The most obvious candidate for a Thomas trade, though, would be the Raiders. Vegas still needs to add receiver help beyond tight end Brock Bowers for rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Tre Tucker has been effective as a deep threat, but he’s probably stretched as a primary wide receiver and will be a free agent after the season,” Barnwell wrote.
Bowers functions as the Raiders’ top wide receiver. Tucker, tight end Michael Mayer and running back Ashton Jeanty are the secondary options. Adding a playmaker that is better than those three could help the offense tremendously.
However, the Raiders are not obvious buyers, as the playoffs may be out of reach this season.
“The Raiders’ playoff chances are sub-10%, per the FPI, and barring a significant winning streak, they’re not really in a place to add a short-term option for 2026. Thomas would be more of a long-term addition,” Barnwell wrote.
Thomas is just 24 years old. Similar to the signing of center Tyler Linderbaum, his age fits the Raiders’ rebuilding timeline. He is also under contract for one season and has a fifth-year option the Raiders could pick up for the 2028 season.
Even if Las Vegas doesn’t make a run at the playoffs this season, Thomas could be one of Mendoza’s top targets for the next two seasons.
But there is a reason Thomas could be available. He has completely fallen off after posting 1,282 yards as a rookie. He had 707 receiving yards last year in 14 games and is only at 105 yards through six games this season. He is a gamble.
Thomas put up one incredible season in the NFL. If the Raiders traded for him, they would be counting on Thomas to do it again. But that is a big risk for a team looking to build through the draft.
“The Raiders aren’t likely to completely collapse over the rest of the season, but there’s a chance that they end up sending a pick toward the top of the second round to the Jaguars for Thomas. Of course, the chance to add a potential star wideout for the quarterback-in-waiting also seems like a worthwhile risk to take,” Barnwell wrote.
Until the Raiders actually add another top-end wide receiver, they will be rumored for just about any available wideout.
