Jets insider reveals Darren Mougey's next possible trade target

Mougey has to keep his undefeated trade streak going somehow.

Charlie Baduini

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey has made himself quite a reputation as a trader, with Monday morning's Minkah Fitzpatrick deal the latest in a long line of Mougey making savvy trades to improve the Jets' long-term outlook.

It started last summer, when he flipped a couple of Day 3 picks for defensive tackles Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs, and continued into the deadline when he got the best possible value for Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. Even February's Jermaine Johnson deal landed the Jets a high-upside run stuffer in T'Vondre Sweat.

Next up, Mougey could be looking to add a weapon to the Jets' arsenal, with SNY's Connor Hughes reporting that the Jacksonville Jaguars are "entertaining offers" for wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

Hughes added that both New York teams, the Jets and Giants, "explored" Thomas deals at last year's trade deadline, but the Jaguars weren't as open to moving their former first-round pick. Now, it seems their tune has changed.

Could the Jets trade for Jaguars wide reciever Brian Thomas Jr.?

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt threw cold water on any imminent trade talk. He seems to have been told that a potential Thomas trade isn't happening anytime soon.

"I'm told "nothing brewing right now" with the Jets as far as a trade, per source. That's not to say they aren't discussing or aren't interested — but no trade imminent right now. And they wouldn't be the only team in on him either."
Zack Rosenblatt

Just because nothing is "brewing" doesn't mean the Jets won't be interested in trading for the Jaguars' wideout. Evidently, they considered it at the 2025 trade deadline. It's possible that a potential deal won't be coming until closer to the NFL Draft.

Thomas is an interesting player. As the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, he hauled in 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl nod in his first pro season.

For whatever reason, the LSU product's game has not meshed well with head coach Liam Coen, and his production dipped this past season. Thomas only caught 48 passes for 707 yards and two touchdowns in 2025. Midseason trade acquisition Jakobi Meyers quickly usurped him in terms of targets down the stretch.

Clearly, the Jaguars want to see what they can get for the former first-round pick, and it's possible the offers they're getting now aren't what they had hoped. As the rest of free agency and the wide receiver market play out, they'll likely receive a better picture of Thomas' worth.

Charlie Baduini

Charlie Baduini covers the New York Jets as a site expert for The Jet Press and FanSided. He is a sports journalist based in Northern New Jersey with a wide variety of sports reporting experience in print and broadcast journalism. Baduini’s byline can also be seen on Heavy and The Sporting News, where he covers several teams across the NFL and NBA. His work has been featured in Heavy, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Yahoo Sports, MSN, and Yardbarker. He also serves as a seasonal intern for ESPN, working as a production assistant for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony every year since 2022. Baduini has been a Jets fan for as long as he can remember, with his family's fandom dating back to the 1960s when his grandfather, Louis, became a season ticket holder. His family has since held on to the tickets to this day. He is an avid fan of the New York Knicks and New York Mets.