The New York Giants may have found their top wide receiver target before the NFL trade deadline.
The New York Giants are in dire need of a wide receiver. We all know this. That was on full display last week against the Denver Broncos when Wan'Dale Robinson was the only Giants receiver to create any sort of consistent separation.
Malik Nabers it out for the season, and Darius Slayton has missed the last couple of weeks with a hamstring injury (although he is slated to return against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday).
Not surprisingly, New York has mentioned as a potential landing spot for a wide out in the lead up to the NFL trade deadline, although with Chris Olave and Jaylen Waddle seeming likely to stay put and Jakobi Meyers probably being a bit too risky for the Giants' taste given his contract situation, options are fairly scarce.
However, a new and exciting possibility may have just emerged: Jacksonville Jaguars star Brian Thomas Jr.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic has reported that the Jaguars are actually receiving trade calls on Thomas, who is in his second season and is coming off of a rookie campaign in which he hauled in 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images.It should be noted that Thomas has been laboring in 2025, having logged just 27 catches for 365 yards and a score through seven games while managing a 49.1 percent catch rate, but he remains one of the most talented wide receivers in football. Plus, his current quarterback situation isn't exactly ideal.
Russini cautioned that a trade is "highly unlikely," but clearly, Jacksonville is fielding offers on the LSU product, which may have to do with the fact that the current regime did not draft him.
Nabers and Thomas were teammates in college, so the idea of putting them both together on an NFL team — especially with Jaxson Dart under center — is certainly tantalizing. Of course, the asking price for Thomas might be exorbitant given the fact that he is just 23 years old with three more years of team control remaining after 2025, but the Giants should at least take a look.
There has even been some conjecture that Thomas could be available for a Day 2 pick, but I personally doubt that the Jaguars would be so rash in moving the youngster just because of a rough start to his sophomore season.
New York definitely needs to do something at wide receiver before Nov. 4 if it wants to put Dart in the best position to succeed in his rookie year. Dart has been playing well for sure, but having so few legitimate weapons at his disposal in the aerial attack will almost certainly stunt his growth.
Yes, the Giants are getting Nabers back in 2026, but Dart is currently in his critical period. New York needs to provide him with talent now to ensure proper development, so if Thomas is actually available, the G-Men should be sure to exhaust every realistic — and sensible — possibility to bring him aboard.