Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is entering his third season in the NFL, and it will be a big one for the Jacksonville Jaguars wideout. After a rookie season where he immediately broke out and emerged as one of the league’s best receivers, the 2024 first-round pick had a sophomore slump that led to people arguing whether he should be traded.
Wisely, the Jaguars opted to hold on to the talented receiver, but now everyone is interested in seeing which version of Thomas will show up in 2026. After his impressive performance in Jacksonville’s offseason program this spring, many believe he will go back to being an elite receiver.
However, NFL analyst Ben Solak doesn’t think that will be the case. In a recent ESPN piece looking at certain players’ 2025 season, and predicting if their respective performances were the start of a trend or just a blip, Solak argued that Thomas’ production last season was the start of a trend.
The reason why the analyst feels this way is that he doesn’t believe Thomas will be used like an elite wide receiver.
ESPN analyst argues that Brian Thomas Jr.’s role with Jaguars will affect production
Solak admitted that he was extremely high on Thomas heading into the 2025 season, but after seeing how things unfolded in Jacksonville this past season, the analyst isn’t convinced that Thomas will get back on the trajectory he set during his rookie season. It’s not that Solak thinks Thomas won’t be able to work through his struggles; it’s just that the analyst believes he will be put in a role that limits his ceiling.
Reflecting on last season, Solak highlighted how most of Thomas’ drop issues came when he was working across the middle. Fortunately for the Jaguars, Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington emerged, and they are both really good at making tough catches in the middle of the field.
That opened the door for Thomas to make plays deep down the field, and Solak believes that’s what he’ll be relied on for in 2026. With Meyers and Washington still in Jacksonville, the analyst argues Thomas will be more of a deep threat than a primary option, three-level receiver.
Thomas definitely has the ability to thrive in that role, and there’s a world where the Jaguars’ offense is elite and that’s all they need from Thomas. However, as Solak acknowledged, that would “be a disappointment relative to our expectations for him coming out of 2024.”
Ultimately, Brian Thomas Jr. and the Jaguars will have the final say.
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