The Jacksonville Jaguars have a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. While it's fair to say that they'll need him to do more in 2025 (stay healthy), he's one of their franchise cornerstones, which is why it was odd to see him get passed in favor of a teammate on a recent list.
Jacob Infante of Pro Football Network drew up a list of the best players for each NFL team, and chose Brian Thomas Jr., not Lawrence, for Jacksonville, noting that the former LSU Tiger was one of the most productive receivers in the league in 2024.
"Though the Jacksonville Jaguars put together a disappointing season in 2024, their biggest bright spot was the rookie performance of Brian Thomas Jr., "Infante wrote. "Thomas was one of the most productive wide receivers in the league last year, tallying 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. He quickly stepped into Jacksonville's WR1 spot, proving himself as Trevor Lawrence's favorite target and positioning himself for a potential All-Pro season in 2025."
There's no doubt that Thomas is a game-changer. Heck, his success looks even more impressive when you take into account that the offensive playcalling was dull and he spent nearly half of the season catching passes from Mac Jones. Moreover, he was the fourth receiver taken off the board in last year's draft but turned out to be the best of the bunch.
With Travis Hunter and Dyami Brown joining the wide receiver corps, Thomas' targets will decrease, but he'll get more favorable matchups, so his numbers could be even better in 2025. Another reason to think he'll improve is that Lawrence will be back behind center.
Lawrence has a pretty good deep ball, and the coaching staff won't pass up the chance to dial up long passes, especially if opposing defenses bring in extra defenders to the box to stymie Tank Bisgby, Bhayshul Tuten, and Travis Etienne (if he sticks around).
This takes us back to Trevor Lawrence, why did the nod go to Thomas and not him even though he plays a position that has a bigger impact in the outcome of a football game?
Brian Thomas Jr. was a better player for the Jaguars than Trevor Lawrence in 2024
Back in 2022, Trevor Lawrence played like a top-10 quarterback, but he's dealt with injuries the past two seasons that have hindered his performance. Compounding the issue is that he didn't get proper coaching last year, and both his decision-making and mechanics weren't optimal. That's why head coach Liam Coen has put an emphasis on his fundamentals throughout the offseason. That said, No. 16 wasn't particularly great in 2024, while Thomas shined.
One look at Pro Football Network's ranking shows that Jacob Infante went with 2024 performance, which is why it makes sense that he chose Thomas over Lawrence. But if things align for the latter, he should be the pick next. After all, his recovery is coming along nicely, and he'll have a much better offensive line and arsenal of weapons. When you add it all up, the former Clemson Tiger is in a position to succeed.
The biggest thing will be for Lawrence to stay healthy, but if he pulls it off, there's no reason to think he won't be the best Jaguars player and earn widespread recognition across the NFL.