Jaguars' struggles shouldn't overshadow Brian Thomas Jr.'s strong start to 2024

The Jacksonville Jaguars aren't off to a great start to the 2024 NFL season but not everything has been doom and gloom. They have had a handful of bright spots, and rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is one of them.

It's been only two games but Thomas is showing the Jags were right to draft him 23rd overall. The former LSU Tiger has caught six passes on eight targets for 141 yards with one touchdown. On top of that, he drew a flag for defensive pass interference in the season opener that put the offense within scoring distance.

This is to say that the rookie wide receiver is already having an impact for Jacksonville, and the league is taking notice. Justin Melo of The Draft Network dubbed him a candidate to make a leap in production in Week 2 after a strong NFL debut. Thomas lived up to expectations and then some.

Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report, for his part, gave him the seventh spot in his rookie rankings, pointing out that the rookie wideout makes plays if given the opportunity.

"The Jaguars offense can be more effective if it doesn't go long stretches without involving Thomas, as it has through the first two games. Clearly, he can make plays if provided with an opportunity. The team drafted him in the first round for a reason. It's time to fully unlock what the rookie can do."

Surprisingly, the Jaguars aren't making Thomas a bigger part of their offense. Granted, his eight targets are the second most on the team after two games, but you could make the case that he deserves a bigger share.

Right now, Gabe Davis leads the Jags in targets with 10. He's caught six of them for 105 yards. Not bad at all, especially when you take into account that he's averaging 17.5 yards per reception. That said, Thomas is averaging a jaw-dropping 23.5 yards per reception.

The Jaguars cannot keep wasting Brian Thomas' game-changing capability

As good as Brian Thomas Jr. has been, the rest of the offense has left much to be desired. In particular, the offensive line has struggled in spite of the changes the front office made in the offseason. In two games, the group has allowed seven sacks and 10 quarterback hits. That's simply too much.

Trevor Lawrence certainly must make better decisions. On the other hand, his inconsistency is understandable when you consider that he's not getting ideal protection up front. On that one play where he got sacked for a safety near the end of the Week 2 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, the Jags would've gotten a massive gain if No. 16 had had enough time to throw.

Instead, Mitch Morse and Ezra Cleveland gave defensive end Alex Wright a clear path to Lawrence even though they were two-on-one. You will be hard-pressed to find a quarterback who'll successfully complete the pass under the same circumstances.

The fact that the offense has been plagued by drops has also hurt its overall production. On the other hand, it would also help if the coaching staff had a game plan that masked the team's weaknesses and put the quarterback in a position to succeed. Two weeks into the regular season, they've failed to do so.

Ultimately, the Jacksonville Jaguars will need to lean on difference-makers like Brian Thomas Jr. if they want to turn the corner. He's already proven they can trust him to make plays.

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