LSU Football: Star Wide Receiver Brian Thomas Jr. Selected No. 23 Overall in NFL Draft

Thomas Jr. becomes the third Tiger selected in the first round, flew up draft boards during 2023 season.

LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is headed to Jacksonville to begin his professional journey with the Jaguars after being selected No. 23 overall in Thursday's 2024 NFL Draft.

Thomas Jr. became the third Tiger selected in the first round on Thursday after Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers heard their names called in the Top 10.

It was a historic season for the LSU offense led by the trio of elite-level playmakers with Thomas Jr. now coming off the board to the Jags.

During the 2023 season, Thomas led Division I with a whopping 17 receiving touchdowns on his way to propelling a dynamic LSU offense.

Alongside Malik Nabers, Thomas Jr. helped quarterback Jayden Daniels on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy.

The 6-foot-3, 209-pound receiver out of Walker, LA has continued hitting his stride, and after piecing together an 1,100 yard season during his junior campaign, Thomas quickly entered the first round draft selection conversation. 

Thomas met with several organizations including the Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers and the New England Patriots, among others during the pre-draft process.

Now, the Jaguars have made the pick with the physical wideout set to begin his professional journey.

What do the scouts think of Thomas Jr. and what Jacksonville is getting in the first round receiver?

Bleacher Nation discussed the LSU star in-depth during the draft process:

"Thomas is a pass-catcher with a tall and tapered frame who is explosive and dangerous. He has an average of 17.3 yards per catch in 2023 and can easily cover the field on vertical routes with his sudden burst and long strides. Thomas has excellent timing on post and corner routes, which helps him throw off defensive backs and catch the ball beautifully over his shoulder. He caught the most touchdowns in the FBS in 2023, with 17.

Thomas is elusive and can juke, turn, and accelerate away from defenders after the catch. His speed is respected by opponents, which helps him have success on comebacks and hook routes. Although he was mainly used as a vertical field-tilter and wasn’t asked to run a super diverse route tree, he has the vision to make plays in space and was utilized on sweeps and end-arounds.

However, there are areas where Thomas needs improvement. He is unrefined as a route runner and sometimes shows his hands early, alerting trailing defenders to the pass. He can get caught up in the trash over the middle of the field and thrown off his routes. Thomas will need to be more disciplined in navigating traffic and avoid loafing when the play wasn’t designed to go his way, running his routes at half speed."

Thomas is a player who hasn't been playing football all of his life. In fact, he began taking the sport seriously midway through high school after becoming one of the top basketball players in Louisiana.

A raw talent with significant potential, Thomas has NFL scouts salivating at what to come with the __ now getting an opportunity to maximize his talent at the next level.

It was an impressive day for LSU with a trio of first round selections headlined by Daniels, Nabers and now Thomas Jr.

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