The Jacksonville Jaguars are ready to stun the league this season, having netted a new head coach - Liam Coen - and offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, both of whom are expected to help quarterback Trevor Lawrence finally reach his full potential this season.
Lawrence now has a stable of reliable wide receivers, though more depth is needed, which certainly should be promising for Jaguars fans. Rookie Travis Hunter has a lot of promise for both offense and defense, but particularly at wide receiver. The biggest name, though, and one whose potential is only just beginning to be seen, is Brian Thomas Jr., with a career that's just getting started.
Thomas was just drafted last year, and he made a big splash right away. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team, and is primed to have an even bigger second-year leap. And that buzz has made it to ESPN, which published a prediction of the top 100 players in the league for 2025. And, unsurprisingly, Thomas made that list, coming in at #46.
Brian Thomas Jr. will be the best of the best
ESPN noted that Thomas led all rookies in 2024 with 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches in 2024, with only one other rookie - Ja'Marr Chase in 2021 - achieving that feat in the last 10 years.
"New Jags coach Liam Coen said the plan is to get Thomas the ball at every level, lining him up outside and in the slot. That means screens, in the seam, middle of the field and certainly deep to take advantage of his 4.33-second 40-yard dash speed."Michael DiRocco
Thomas has been setting franchise records for rookies in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, and was named to the Pro Bowl already; the last rookie to do that was Josh Hines-Allen in 2019. And he did this well despite facing intense coverage in every game, as he was Jacksonville's only reliable receiver.
Some might argue that Thomas could regress in his sophomore season, and technically, that's true; anything is possible. But there are a lot of reasons to assume the opposite will happen, and that his elite rookie season will be nothing less than a launching pad.
This year, he has a roster of other dynamic receivers to take some of the attention off of him, which should give him more opportunities to make explosive plays. Lawrence should also be better than ever with Coen's coaching, and all of that should align to create a fearsome Jaguars offense.