The Jacksonville Jaguars have a bona fide No. 1 receiver in Brian Thomas Jr. but knew that they needed to bolster Trevor Lawrence's arsenal if they wanted to bounce back. After adding reinforcements in the offseason, the Jags' wide receiver corps is in much greater shape than it was in 2024. And just recently, cornerback Tyson Campbell talked about what opposing defenses will be up against.
Campbell mostly shut down Thomas on Day 9 of training camp. He met with the local media after practice and said that going against top competition makes everyone better.
"Iron always sharpens iron, you know, heck of a receiver," Campbell responded after being told that he frustrated Thomas. "Dyami, you have a bunch of great receivers, so just going against them each and every day, you got to bring your A game, and that helps me mentally, knowing that I can't take any days off. I got to bring each and every day and each and every play."
Later in the exchange, Campbell also praised rookie Travis Hunter, pointing out that his ball skills are something to keep an eye on.
"This is how quick he is. And you know how shifty he is, and he gets to a spot, and Trevor is able to put it anywhere, and he's athletic enough to reach out and go get it. So his ball skills are definitely something that catches your eye," Campbell.
According to Mia O'Brien of ESPN, Thomas had his roughest day of training camp yet, pointing out that he sophomore receiver didn't register a catch in Red-Zone 1-on1's and later had two passes deflected in team period. On the other hand, he did haul in a one-year touchdown later.
A second-round pick in 2021, Campbell has dealt with injuries the past two seasons. The good news is that he's back at full strength and has had a strong training camp. This should allow him to play like he did in 2022. That year, the former Georgia Bulldog was a top-10 cornerback.
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Why the Jaguars have a lethal trio in Brian Thomas Jr., Dyami Brown, and Travis Hunter
Brian Thomas Jr. is coming off a season in which he logged 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns. He did it while catching passes from Mac Jones for nearly half the defense and with defenses zeroing in on him because the Jaguars didn't have any other weapons. With Dyami Brown and Travis Hunter in the fold, the former LSU Tiger should be even more productive in Year 2.
Sure, Brown and Hunter will get some of the targets that would've otherwise gone to Thomas but will also draw coverage away from him, which will, in turn, leave him with more favorable matchups.
Couple that with the fact that Trevor Lawrence is back behind center and is the healthiest he's been, and it's easy to see Brian Thomas Jr. having another banner season and joining the top echelon of wide receivers in the NFL.