![Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) pulls in a pass during an NFL training camp second session at the Miller Electric Center, Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_306,w_1583,h_890/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/55/01k128vrvk2vm28xm212.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) pulls in a pass during an NFL training camp second session at the Miller Electric Center, Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]")
Even though Brian Thomas Jr. exploded into the scene as a rookie, many analysts would still take fellow sophomore receiver Malik Nabers if given the choice. That's precisely what they did in several rankings ahead of the 2025 season. Having said that, the Jacksonville Jaguars wouldn't change BTJ for anything in the world, and his place in the NFL's list of the top 100 players is a big reason why.
Just days after Nabers popped up at No. 67 on NFL Media's countdown, Thomas made his debut at No. 63. Here's what writer Christian Gonzales had to say about the sophomore's place on the list.
"The Jaguars wide receiver showed he can be a reliable and dynamic No. 1 option for Jacksonville. Thomas Jr. set Jaguars rookie record in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns," Conzales wrote. "He was the first Jacksonville rookie to be selected to a Pro Bowl since his teammate Josh Hines-Allen did in 2019. This offseason, he is "not resting" after a stellar rookie campaign as Jacksonville has a lot of buzz with two-way unicorn Travis Hunter joining Thomas in the WRs room."
Thomas was the third Jaguar and probably the last who made the illustrious list. Trevor Lawrence landed at No. 94 while Hines-Allen got the 63rd spot.
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Brian Thomas may be ranked even higher in 2026
What's impressive about Brian Thomas Jr.'s success as a rookie is that he was routinely double-teamed because the Jacskonville Jaguars didn't have any other game-changers. Moreover, he caught passes from Mac Jones for nearly half the season because Trevor Lawrence missed time with injuries.
Lawrence is back behind center and is the healthiest he's been in a while. Couple that with the addition of Travis Hunter and Dyami Brown and his arsenal of weapons, and opposing teams won't be able to zero in on Thomas. This will, in turn, lead to more favorable matchups for the Jaguars budding star next season.
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Why Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. deserved a higher spot than Malik Nabers
All things considered, Brian Thomas' inclusion is well-deserved. The fourth receiver taken in the 2024 draft, he turned out to be the best of the bunch, reeling in 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns. On top of that, he finished fourth in voting for Offensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl as an alternate.
For the sake of transparency, Malik Nabers was no slouch last year. He did have more receptions (109) than his Jaguars counterpart last year. On the other hand, he averaged fewer yards per reception (11.0), had less yards (1,204), and fewer touchdown grabs (seven). But despite the fact that Thomas was the more productive of the two, he had a lower spot in ESPN's ranking of the top 10 receivers ahead of 2025.
Similarly, Pro Football Focus had Nabers ranked higher than Thomas in their top 32 list. The good news is that the Jaguars second-year receiver also got a spot ahead of his Giants counterpart in Pete Prisco's top 100 list, showing that not everyone thinks Nabers is better.
Ultimately, both Brian Thomas and Nabers are fine players and are set to be the No. 1 receivers for their respective teams. Having said that, the former had the better rookie season and NFL Media acknowledged it by giving him a better spot in his ranking.