Brian Thomas Jr. could be the Cardinals’ ideal Marvin Harrison Jr. replacement

The Arizona Cardinals moved on from their Marvin Harrison Jr. draft investment this season. Could the Jacksonville Jaguars be next with Brian Thomas Jr.?

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that teams around the league are looking at Thomas as a serious trade candidate for the Jaguars.

"Multiple league execs believe Jacksonville will seriously consider trading Brian Thomas Jr. at the deadline now that his role has decreased," Fowler said.

You know who could use a receiver? The Cardinals!

Cardinals should target Brian Thomas Jr. to replace Marvin Harrison Jr.

Depending on the asking price for Thomas, it could be worthwhile for Arizona to pull the trigger on him as a potential replacement for Harrison.

Carlos Sanchez of FanSided's Black and Teal noted that the Jaguars could potentially be seeking a similar return as the Cardinals recently received for Harrison.

"The Houston Texans just gave up a second-round pick for Marvin Harrison Jr. It wouldn't be shocking to find out the Jags want similar compensation for Thomas when you take into account that he's been more productive at the NFL level," Sanchez writes.

Whether a team would actually bite on Jacksonville's asking price -- or what that actual asking price would be -- remains to be seen. But should it dip below what the Cardinals received from the Texans for Harrison, it could make sense for them to land their replacement while still coming away with an upgrade in terms of draft compensation.

And as Sanchez points out, compared to Harrison, Thomas has an actual proven track record of production at the NFL level. He immediately took the league by storm as a rookie, totaling almost 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns.

That storm has since passed, as he's on track for a consecutive underwhelming season in Jacksonville. But at just 24 years old, there's reason to believe that's more so due to external factors rather than simply losing the talent or skill set he previously displayed. To a lesser extent, Harrison already appears to be benefiting from a change of scenery with the Texans for similar reasons he never quite panned out with the Cardinals.

Then again, Thomas is the one who's already proven to be capable of that WR1 for a team. We've seen Michael Wilson struggle in Harrison's absence. That means even if Thomas doesn't return to that true WR1 form in Arizona, it would still be a worthwhile trade to free up the other playmakers. That's the worst-case scenario -- the low-production role Harrison played earlier on in the season.

But the best-case scenario? Thomas returns to that rookie form, looking the part of the player the Cardinals initially thought they were getting in Harrison when they selected him fourth overall.

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