2024 NFL Draft: Should the Jaguars Consider LSU's Brian Thomas Jr. at No. 17?
The 2024 NFL Draft season is upon us.
Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold nine picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 17 overall pick.
As we march closer and closer to April’s draft, we will look at individual draft prospects and how they would potentially fit with the Jaguars. Instead of looking at any negatives, we are going to look at what the players do well and if they could match what the Jaguars need at the specific role or position.
Next up: LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
Overview
A Louisiana native, Thomas Jr. was ranked a four-star recruit in the 2021 class by 247Sports. He was the No. 89 recruit nationally, the No. 13 overall receiver, and the No. 4 recruit in the state. Before committing to LSU, Thomas Jr. received offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Louisiana, Miami, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Alabama, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Virginia, and Washington State.
Thomas Jr. caught 68 passes for 1,177 yards (17.3 average) and 17 touchdowns for LSU in 2023, ending the year by being named Third-Team All-America and Second-Team All-SEC.
In 2022, Thomas Jr. caught 31 passes for 361 yards and five touchdowns. In 2021, he caught 28 passes for 359 yards and two touchdowns.
What Brian Thomas Jr. Does Well
It is impossible not to find Thomas Jr. the second you turn on LSU's offensive tape. He has a hulking presence on the outside thanks to his combination of height and length. If you want one of your receivers to be the first player off the bus, then you can do a lot worse than Thomas Jr.
Thomas Jr. then adds to his toolbox by displaying an explosive first step off the line of scrimmage. Thomas Jr. has legit speed and can get on top of cornerbacks in a hurry, forcing them to flip their hips early in a route thanks to his presence and the danger of vertical speed. Thomas' explosiveness and ability to keep corners off of him off the snap give him the ability to beat press coverage frequently.
Aside from being a legit deep threat who can run by defenders and get behind a secondary, Thomas Jr. also shows ball-tracking skills to take advantage of his speed. He is excellent at bringing in passes outside of his frame due to his combination of length and ball skills, making him as dangerous of a deep threat as there is in this class.
Thomas Jr.'s natural athletic traits also make him a threat after the catch. Whether on drag routes or quick-hitting slant routes, he shows the quickness and flexibility to quickly snap out of routes and transition from a receiver into a ball-carrier.
How Brian Thomas Jr. Would Fit With the Jaguars
This is the biggest question when it comes to Thomas Jr. The Jaguars clearly don't have anyone on the roster with his blend of size, length and speed, so he would bring a different element to the roster immediately. He would also give the Jaguars another red-zone jump-ball option after the Jaguars' receivers struggled in the red-zone a year ago.
With that said, the Jaguars aren't really missing a deep threat as long as they retain Calvin Ridley. They missed a big receiver on their roster a year ago, but Ridley was more than enough as a deep threat. What they instead were missing via a big receiver was a contested catch specialist who could win jump balls downfield and be an accuracy eraser for Trevor Lawrence.
Thomas Jr., for all of the impressive traits he has, isn't that receiver. He is more of a pure burner and vertical threat who is at his best when asked to run by cornerbacks. He isn't likely to be a great contested catch receiver in the NFL, so he isn't the exact type of receiver the Jaguars have been missing. He would elevate Lawrence as a vertical threat, but the need for a ball-winner would still be present.
Verdict
It is easy to see why Thomas has seen his stock soar. Not many 6-foot-4, 215-pound receivers can run like Thomas. He is a legit deep threat in a power forward's body. Add his spectacular production in 2023 and it makes sense why he is mocked so early.
Still, it is a bit rich for me. Especially considering what the Jaguars' offense needs. Thomas can take the top off of defenses, but can he be the contested catch weapon Trevor Lawrence seems to be missing? That seems less likely.
At No. 17, I am going to have to say probably not. It is a different story if he is somehow available at No. 48.
For all of our 2024 NFL Draft profiles, click below.
