Two years ago, Brian Thomas Jr. looked like one of the NFL's next great receivers. Now he might be the answer to a problem the San Francisco 49ers didn't expect to have this early.

The 49ers' receiver room has been hit hard by injuries. Ricky Pearsall is out. De'Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson won't be back until later in the season. Christian Kirk is getting close, but isn't on the field yet.

Mike Evans, the veteran the team signed in the offseason to steady the group, is now dealing with a rib injury. San Francisco is re-signing Dante Pettis, which tells you how few options are left.

That's why Bleacher Report's Alex Kay listed the 49ers among five teams that should look into trading for the Jacksonville Jaguars wideout. It's a reasonable idea, and it could turn out to be a good one.

Some context helps explain why Thomas might be available. Jacksonville drafted him in the first round in 2024, and he immediately produced 87 catches, 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. At 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds, he combined size and deep speed in a way few rookies do.

Things have gone downhill since. His 2025 season ended with 48 receptions, 707 yards and three total touchdowns. This fall he has seven catches for 88 yards through the opening weeks, and his yards per catch has dropped to a career-low 12.6.

It's easy to look at that trend and move on. But a receiver who put up 1,282 yards at 22 years old didn't lose all his talent. Players stall out for plenty of reasons: scheme, quarterback play, how they're used, confidence. A change of scenery can fix more of those than people expect.

Kyle Shanahan has built a reputation on getting production out of receivers who weren't producing elsewhere. His offense uses motion, play-action and crossing routes to get receivers the ball in space, then relies on them to make plays after the catch.

For Thomas, that could mean fewer contested jump balls and more catches on the move. He would also be working with Brock Purdy, who has played well enough early in the year to start some MVP talk. Thomas wouldn't have to carry the offense right away. He would just need to be a reliable option while the rest of the receivers get healthy.

Kay acknowledges that this isn't a guaranteed fix, and he's right. Picking up Shanahan's playbook during the season is difficult. Building timing with Purdy takes reps the 49ers may not have. Thomas's struggles could also be more about him than about Jacksonville.

The price would matter a lot. San Francisco has usually developed its receivers through the draft rather than trading for them, and giving up a meaningful pick for a player coming off a down stretch runs counter to that approach.

Thomas is still young and on his rookie contract. If the 49ers get him back to anywhere near his 2024 level, they would have a legitimate No. 1 receiver for the playoffs and possibly beyond this season. If it doesn't work out, the downside is limited.

For a team with a championship window, a quarterback playing well, and injuries piling up at receiver, it's a gamble worth taking.