Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence might have the best receiving room of his career this season. Second-year veteran Brian Thomas Jr. had a Pro Bowl-worthy rookie season, former Washington Commander Dyami Brown looks to add some elite speed, and third-year veteran Parker Washington is showing flashes of all the right kinds.
Add to that mix rookie wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter, and the Jaguars look to have what could potentially be an elite wide receiver room. Sure, maybe logic tells us to pump the brakes on the Travis Hunter hype train until he plays his first game in the regular season, but no, I don't think I will.
Oddly enough, the Jaguars might have the New York Jets to thank for being in such a great position.
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Former NY Jets coach Robert Saleh ranked Malachi Corley over Brian Thomas Jr.
To be fair, hindsight is definitely 20/20, and the Jaguars have had their share of botched draft picks (looking at you, Blaine Gabbert). Still, the New York Jets had Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley ranked above Brian Thomas Jr. in their pre-draft gradings for 2024. Apparently, only wide receivers Malik Nabers, Marvin Harrison, and Rome Odunze were rated above Corley.
After the draft, the Jets' social media team even went out of their way to congratulate the staff on the draft choice, sharing a text between Saleh and former Jets general manager Joe Douglas. The pair quoted a line from the 2014 film, Draft Day, where Kevin Costner's character wrote a note to himself—"No matter what"—to ensure he selected linebacker Vontae Mack "no matter what."
from Coach Saleh and Joe Douglas' texts this morning pic.twitter.com/T45org574t
— New York Jets (@nyjets) April 27, 2024
Their wide receiver ratings mattered quite a bit here, especially since they had the eleventh pick in 2024, while Jacksonville was deep at pick 23. The Jets selected a lineman, leaving Thomas open for the Jaguars to snatch up.
Related: Jaguars just saved a rookie's job by releasing veteran Daniel Thomas
New York Jets waive Malachi Corley
Similar to Jacksonville, the Jets underwent a regime change this offseason, hiring Aaron Glenn as their new head coach and Darren Mougey as their new general manager in January 2025. It seems with Corley's relatively quiet rookie seasons—a whopping three receptions for 16 yards—and a lackluster offseason, Glennas and Mougey decided to move on from the young receiver.
Compare Morley's first season to Thomas'. The second-year Jaguar caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning him both a spot in the 2024 Pro Bowl and No. 61 on the NFL's top 100 players of 2024. Keep in mind, most of those yards came from backup quarterback Mac Jones.
Related: Jaguars just gave up on former Colorado star before even playing a snap
Final thoughts
While the Jaguars' receiving room still has a lot to prove in 2025, it looks to be one of the most promising storylines of the season. And to think we have the Jets to thank for it.