With the 2024 NFL draft about three weeks away, the Jaguars need to prepare for one of its biggest question marks of the offseason.
Depending on what happens with wide receiver Calvin Ridley, Jacksonville could be on the search for a new weapon for quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars could either re-sign Ridley, go after a free agent pass catcher, or draft Ridley’s successor. The team may even go down two of those three routes.
If they opt to add a receiver via the draft, LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. will be among the top options for the team in the first round:
Strengths
Another day, another Brian Thomas Jr big play.
This time it comes from his yards after catch skills and ability to make defenders miss.
Turns a 1st down into a 60+ yard TD making two defenders miss horrifically 💨 pic.twitter.com/Owts1jqeXw
— Snoog’s Dynasty Society (@FFSnoog) January 23, 2024
Thomas is one of the best athletes at the position. He was one of the best deep threats in the nation this season when paired with his Heisman-winning quarterback, Jayden Daniels.
The 6’4, 205-pound receiver doesn’t move like someone of his size should. Thomas flies down the field any time he sees green.
Thomas is one of the fastest receivers in the class, but he’s not just fast. The LSU product has a great package of releases from the line of scrimmage, making his deep threat ability even more translatable.
His size also gives him an advantage when going up for 50/50 balls. He’s not the best at going after a ball in the air, but he was successful bringing in contested catches at the college level, so he should be able to do the same, at least sparingly, in the NFL.
Weaknesses
While Thomas has a clear ability to make plays after the catch, his movement might not beat everyone in the NFL. Ideally, he can work on his agility and add some wiggle, but he’s likely about capped out considering his size.
Thomas also doesn’t have the most diverse route tree. His role with the Tigers mostly consisted of go routes, hitches, and the occasional in-breaking route.
While he’s one of the best receivers in college football at beating defensive backs deep, it would be nice to see him work more in the short to intermediate range. He’s capable when running simple, one-cut routes, but he won’t be running too many complicated routes, at least not as a rookie.
Game to watch: LSU @ Ole Miss (Sept. 30, 2023)
Jayden Daniels finds Brian Thomas Jr. to the end zone to extend LSU's lead 😲
Ole Miss trails 40-49 with less than 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter.pic.twitter.com/KcEuryQWz4
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 1, 2023
Thomas’ performance against Ole Miss in September was one of the best of the 2023 season.
Against the Rebels, Thomas hauled in eight passes for 124 yards and three touchdowns. His deep threat ability was on full display, as he was beating defensive backs deep all game.
Perhaps his most impressive trait in the game was his ability as an endzone threat. Thomas’ ability resulted in three touchdown grabs on 50/50 balls. He adjusted in the ball and hauled in three contested catches, including one that improved LSU’s lead in the fourth quarter of the game.
Stats to know
If you give Brian Thomas Jr a chance to make a play, he’ll likely make it.
The ball tracking and spatial awareness to make this play in the back of the end zone in tight 1-1 coverage is 🤌🏼
I’ll be drafting a lot of him in this upcoming rookie draft 💨pic.twitter.com/r61V7p6VIj
— Snoog’s Dynasty Society (@FFSnoog) January 23, 2024
Thomas had a monster junior season before declaring for the draft. He was first in the NCAA in receiving touchdowns and 12th in receiving yards. Thomas finished the season with 68 catches for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Thomas averaged 17.3 yards per receptions, showing how likely he is to make a big play. He didn’t do much from the inside last year, as he had 408 snaps out wide and only 62 from the slot.
The former LSU receiver earned a grade of 74.2 in his 2023 from Pro Football Focus.
Why he could be the pick
LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr. has cemented himself as a first round pick for me after his rapid development in 2023. Not many guys at his size that can take the top off of a defense and transition the way he does pic.twitter.com/VDxl6F8Bkk
— Joe DeLeone (@joedeleone) January 17, 2024
Thomas isn’t in the elite tier of receivers in the 2024 class, but he might be the best outside of the top three. Assuming Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze are off the board, the Jaguars could have their pick of the next tier of receivers when the 17th overall pick is up.
Thomas would give Jacksonville the deep threat it tried to get out of Ridley. And it would give receiver Christian Kirk a running mate and take pressure off him and tight end Evan Engram to handle every target.
Now, the Jaguars would probably only need to take a receiver that high if they choose to move on from Ridley. They could justify a receiver as is, but a Ridley-less Jacksonville team may need to add another target if it wants Lawrence to reach his full potential.
