Jaguars must be thrilled Brian Thomas Jr. is outperforming rookie WRs in one key area

Years of searching for a marquee wide receiver have ended this season for the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, they selected Brian Thomas Jr., and he has been everything that the club expected and then some.

The former LSU Tiger has delivered time and again for the Jags offense in 2024, and it could be just the beginning for him. Against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14, he patiently waited for his chance to make a play and ended with 86 receptions on eight catches.

His latest performance earned Thomas his fifth nomination for NFL Rookie of the Week honors this season. On top of that, it puts him on pace to achieve several milestones in his rookie year.

Brian Thomas Jr. is on pace to break several Jaguars records

Barring a serious injury, Thomas will make Jaguars history very soon. The 22-year has 851 receiving yards, 14 fewer than Justin Blackmon’s franchise record from 2012, per Statmuse. Seeing as Thomas is averaging 15.8 yards per catch this year, he’ll likely break that rookie record on Sunday when his team visits New Jersey for a date with the New York Jets.

On top of that, the next time Thomas finds the end zone through the air, he’ll surpass Allen Hurns for the most receiving scores among Jaguar rookie pass catchers.

How does Thomas compare to other NFL receivers? 

For a receiver in his first professional season, Thomas is holding his own. After 13 games in 2024, the Jags rookie is tied for 13th in receiving yards alongside Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride. At the same time, the only player who boasts a higher yards-per-catch ratio than the No. 23 pick in the 2024 draft is Jerry Jeudy (16.0).

While there are plenty of big-name receivers above Thomas statistically, you could argue the Jags rookie has been among the most consistent players at his position. This season, Thomas has put up at least 75 yards through the air in seven games, a mark bested only by Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson (10).

Brian Thomas Jr.'s stats compared to other rookies

Among NFL rookie receivers, Thomas has been the best this year. For the record, that is only among wide receivers, thus eliminating the Raiders’ tight end Brock Bowers from the equation. Thomas leads the league for yards through the air among rookie wide receivers, with Malik Nabers of the Giants (819) and the Chargers Ladd McConkey (815) behind him. Thomas’s mark of seven games with at least 75+ receiving yards is the most among rookie pass catchers.

Thomas is currently averaging 65.5 receiving yards per game. If he continues that rate, he will have reached 1,000 yards during their December 29th clash with the Tennessee Titans.

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