Buffalo Has Strong Need for No. 1 Wideout
Many expect the Buffalo Bills to trade for a No. 1 wide receiver before the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline.
The team’s lack of a true deep threat to stretch the field and keep the secondary honest has been arguably the team’s biggest Achilles heel this season.
Khalil Shakir (31 catches, 356 yards, three touchdowns) and Keon Coleman (27 catches, 267 yards, three TDs) have had solid seasons so far, but neither are true game-breaking WRs.
Aside from that duo, Joshua Palmer (14 receptions, 234 yards) is the only other receiver on the team with more than five receptions, 11 targets, and 78 yards, and it’s clear Buffalo’s 15th-ranked passing attack (218.4 yards per game) can use an upgrade, which is why Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes the team should make an all-in trade offer for one of the top young wideouts in the game.
Knox recently listed the Bills as one of the teams to watch for Jacksonville Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr., whose name recently emerged in trade whispers over the last week.
He proposed the Bills send wide receiver Elijah Moore and a 2026 conditional second-round pick to Jacksonville for Thomas Jr., who’s coming off an 87-catch, 1,282-yard, 10-touchdown rookie season.
“[Buffalo is] still trailing the New England Patriots in the AFC East, and quarterback Josh Allen lacks a true game-changing, go-to receiver,” Knox wrote. “While Thomas hasn't been that sort of pass-catcher during his sophomore campaign—he's caught 27 passes for 365 yards and one touchdown—he showed that sort of ceiling as a rookie.
“In theory, adding Thomas would transform a very good offense into a great one. If the Bills believe that's enough to make them a championship team, now is the time to capitalize. Targeting Thomas would make even more sense than last year's deadline deal for Amari Cooper.”
Thomas is Jacksonville’s leading receiver, and though his numbers are solid, his production is far behind what it was during his rookie year, which can be attributed to the Jags’ emphasis on spreading the ball around — rookie Travis Hunter, Parker Washington, Dyami Brown, and tight end Brenton Strange all have 24 or more targets and 194 or more receiving yards.
The wrench in Knox’s proposal, however, is the Jaguars are on record stating they have no intention of sending Thomas anywhere.
“We have no plans to move Brian Thomas,” Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said, vis ESPN. “I've got a lot of confidence in him.”