Budding Jaguars star keeps gaining buzz before training camp

The Jacksonville Jaguars see Travis Hunter as a sports-altering talent and expect him to have an impact on both offense and defense. But as talented as the two-way star is, he won't be their No. 1 receiver. That label would go to Brian Thomas Jr., who took the league by storm as a rookie and is expected to make a leap in Year 2. Throughout the offseason, the 2024 first-round selection has gotten rave reviews, and an NFL analyst just heaped massive praise on him just before training camp.

The Athletic drew up a list of potential breakout candidates for each NFL team, and Jeff Howe picked Thomas for Jacksonville, noting that the sophomore wideout can take off if the Trevor Lawrence-Liam Coen pairing pans out as expected.

"The 2024 first-round pick had an electric rookie season with 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, so it's fair to argue he's already broken out," Howe wrote. "But considering that production on a bad team with turbulent quarterback play, Thomas could explode if the Trevor Lawrence-Liam Coen pairing works out the way it's been envisioned. Plus, with Travis Hunter on the other side, defenses will have to decide where to load their coverage."

Howe continued, "If Hunter comes as advertised as a full-time wideout, Thomas could soon be knocking on the door as one of the league's premier receivers."

Although Thomas was the fourth receiver off the board in the 2024 draft, he turned out to be the best of the bunch, hauling in 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns. His production earned him a Pro Bowl alternate and fourth place in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. Heck, he was the only Jaguar who cracked CBS Sports' top 100 players of 2025.

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Why Brian Thomas Jr. will dominate for the Jaguars in 2025

Already, Brian Thomas Jr. has been compared to the likes of Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, showing that he still has plenty of untapped potential. And based on the moves the Jags made in the offseason, an uptick in production is realistic next season.

Circling back to Jeff Howe's comments, he makes some compelling points. Thomas was the best player on an unimaginative offense in 2024. Because Jacksonville didn't have any other weapons around him, they force-fed him the football, which led to a padded statline. On the other hand, the Louisiana native still managed to be productive despite the fact that he was catching passes from Mac Jones for nearly half the season and was often doubled. Things have changed.

Lawrence is back at quarterback, and he has the arm strength to find Thomas deep. On top of that, defenses will no longer be able to zero in on him because Dyami Brown and Travis Hunter will draw coverage away from him. But wait! There's more.

Head coach Liam Coen will put an emphasis on establishing the run, so opposing teams will need to bring extra defenders into the box. That will give Thomas more favorable matchups in the back end. When you add it all up, it's easy to see why the second-year receiver has the potential to break out.

Granted, Hunter and Brown will take away some of his targets, but there should be plenty for everyone, so even if Thomas finishes with fewer catches, nobody will bat an eye if his average per reception, total yards, and touchdown totals go up.

The bottom line is that the Jaguars have a franchise building block in Brian Thomas Jr., and you win games by getting your playmakers the ball.

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