The Jacksonville Jaguars needed to bolster Trevor Lawrence's arsenal of weapons in the offseason, so it wasn't shocking to see them sign a receiver in free agency. What stood out was that they chose to ink one that was mostly a non-factor throughout his NFL career: Dyami Brown. However, they were pleased enough with his growth late in 2024 that they didn't hesitate to give him a one-year deal worth $10 million. So far, it looks like the decision is paying off.
Brown made a strong impression throughout Organized Team Activities, and it carried over into mandatory minicamp. Head coach Liam Coen is certainly thrilled about his progress thus far, poiting out that the fifth-year receiver is expanding his route repertoire.
"I think when you watched him last year, and you saw a little bit more of a ball in hand, slash, deep threat. And you didn't really see him work the intermediate that much," Coen responded when asked what the team can get out of Brown. "And I think over the course of this spring, Trevor and him have gained a little bit of a chemistry on some of those intermediate, in-breakers, curls, maybe out cuts.
Coen continued, I just think that they have a little bit of a chemistry, and that was part of the selling point to have him come here was, man, we really want to continue to diversify your route tree and have you do more, right? You're not just a screen, jet sweep, vertical threat. We want to continue to diversify his route tree. And I think that those two have built a little bit of a chemistry out here."
Expected to make a splash signing and go after someone like Chris Godwin in free agency, the team's brass instead set their sights on Brown. A third-round pick in the 2021 draft, he tallied a combined 29 receptions for 476 yards with three touchdowns in his first three seasons. For a moment, it looked like 2024 was going to be much of the same.
However, something clicked, and the Charlotte, North Carolina native hit his stride during the Washington Commanders' playoff run, hauling in 14 catches for 229 yards with one touchdown in three postseason games. So far, he's managed to build off of his strong finish to 2024.
Dyami Brown has been everything the Jaguars bargained and then some
When the Jaguars signed Dyami Brown, they didn't know they were going to be able to trade up to select Travis Hunter in the NFL Draft. That said, the arrival of the 2024 Heisman Trophy shouldn't stop Brown from making an impact. If anything, Jacksonville should be hyped up about how stacked their wide receiver unit will be in 2025.
Hunter is expected to make an impact right off the bat, but it wouldn't be shocking to see Brown line up opposite Thomas Jr. to start the regular season. After all, he's more experienced than his rookie counterpart. That doesn't mean that Hunter won't get plenty of targets, but rather that the coaching staff will bring him along slowly and increase his workload as the year progresses.
If things played out like the team's brass envisioned, Dyami Brown will have a career season and will cash in free agency in 2026. That will pave the way for Travis Hunter to join the starting lineup full-time. So far, things are going according to plan.