Dating back to the 2025 deadline, Brian Thomas Jr. was the subject of non-stop trade chatter. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars made it clear that he wasn't going anywhere. Then, the 2026 NFL Draft came and went, and the third-year wide receiver remains in Duval, and understandably so.
Thomas showcased deep-threat capabilities in 2024, registering 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns. However, he suffered a drop-off in production last season, which is why all the speculation arose. Now, the former LSU Tiger needs to validate the team's trust by bouncing back. A local beat writer thinks he'll have his work cut out for him.
The Jaguars are confident Brian Thomas Jr. can bounce back
Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union put together a list of 15 offseason questions about the Jaguars. He asks whether Brian Thomas Jr. can bounce back, arguing that they need more from him in Year 3.
"Hope is never a good strategy, so the Jaguars will continue to show confidence that Thomas can be the player who caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie," O'Halloran wrote. "Ok, not the exact same player because the Jaguars have better pass-catching personnel and he won't approach those numbers."
Last year, Jacksonville traded for Jakobi Meyers midseason because drops were an issue. He quickly took care of that, but Parker Washington also had a breakout campaign. With those two in the mix and tight end Brenton Strange in the mix, Thomas will have to share targets. But regardless of the opportunities he gets, O'Halloran argues that the Walker, Louisiana native will have to show improvement in two key areas.
"But Thomas should have more than two touchdown catches. The eye-popping number last year is he caught only 48 of his 91 targets. That's dreadful. He needs to become a more diverse route runner and obviously cut down on his drops (eight last year)," O'Halloran wrote.
There's no doubt that Thomas gives the Jacksonville element of verticality, but one of his biggest criticisms ahead of the 2024 draft was that he ran a shallow route tree. This was evident when No. 7 ran routes in the middle of the field last year and couldn't reel in the football. Heck, he appeared to be afraid to be hit any time he was targeted in the middle.
The good news is that Thomas will have time to hone his route-running and get a better grasp of Liam Coen's scheme this offseason.
The Jaguars definitely need more of Brian Thomas Jr. in 2026
Brian Thomas Jr. remains a talented player, but he'll need to work on his craft and share targets with other wideouts if he wants to remain a part of the Jaguars' long-term plans. Aside from Parker Washington, Travis Hunter, and Jakobi Meyers, Jacksonville added Josh Cameron and CJ Williams in the NFL Draft, so he'll need to prove he deserves to be at the top of the depth chart.
And that's the thing, regardless of the opportunities Thomas gets, he must take care of them. No receiver will ever have a catch rate of 100, but if he had reeled in 10-15 more targets, his final statline in 2025 would have looked much better. Let's say, 60 receptions for 882 yards with five touchdowns. The former first-round pick wouldn't have reached the 1,000 mark but would have still put together good numbers.
The truth is that the Jaguars don't need Brian Thomas Jr. to tally over 1,200 yards next season, but they do need him to once again be the playmaker he showed he can be as a rookie.
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