Bryan Thomas Jr. just became impossible to ignore in Jaguars roster conversation

Every year, there is one or a couple surprises on the 53-man roster. This year should be no different, as the Jacksonville Jaguars could keep an undrafted rookie who flashed whenever he was given a chance in the preseason.

Last year, Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II made the team after going undrafted. Bryan Thomas Jr. could follow in their footsteps in 2026.

Like Striggow and Green, Thomas, known as "the other BTJ" or "BTJ with a Y," went undrafted. And like Striggow and Green, the former Southern Carolina Gamecock could give the Jags a tough roster decision come cutdown day.

Bryan Thomas Jr. deserves a roster spot with the Jaguars in 2026

Bryan Thomas didn't do much of note in the offseason program or early in training camp. But the switch turned in the preseason, and he took off. The first-year defensive end played 102 total snaps on defense and registered a team-best eight pressures and four sacks, also a team high.

Simply put, Thomas dominated and should get the sixth defensive line spot over fellow rookie Zach Durfee. Heck, Durfee seemed to have a favorable chance to make the team in training camp but slowed down in the preseason. Now, he could be at risk of hitting the waiver wire and landing on the practice squad.

Circling back to Thomas, head coach Liam Coen heaped praise on him after the 19-0 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the preseason finale, pointing out that he has the "gift" to get after the quarterback.

"His play style is the right way. It fits a lot of the things that we preach and that we're about as a team," Coen told reporters after the game. "When you have a gift of rushing the passer, man, it's something that you can't ignore. And I thought he did some nice things against the run as well tonight."

Coen continued, "I thought the defense as a whole, obviously, with the shutout, was huge. Being led by Brian, and you know, he's making it really difficult, which is a good thing. It's just what we're hunting up. But he's had that skill set. That was something we really appreciated about his game, and he's just continued to do it on the stage."

Cutdown day is two days after the Buccaneers game on Sunday, August 30. We'll know by then whether Thomas made the cut.

Related: 12 instant reactions from the shutout win vs. the Buccaneers in the finale

Why Bryan Thomas Jr. has a chance to make the Jaguars roster

The Jaguars will probably keep six defensive ends in 2026. Travon Walker, Josh Hines-Allen, B.J. Green II, Danny Striggow, and Wesley Williams all should be locks to make the team. That would leave just one spot for grabs.

As noted before, Zach Durfee, dubbed prospect X during the draft process, appeared to be in a position to seize it, but Bryan Thomas Jr. outplayed him in the preseason. This regime has shown that they're not afraid to keep players regardless of their draft status. If that's the case, Thomas should have the better chance of getting a roster spot.

Ultimately, the Jaguars will make the call, but the last thing they'll want is to see Bryan Thomas Jr. hit the waiver wire, get claimed, and thrive with another team. That's just how talented he is.

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