Where Did Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr. Rank Among Rookie WRs?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have one of the best rising talents in the league in Brian Thomas Jr. Where did he rank among other rookie wide receivers?

Dec 29, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr (7) celebrates the first down against the the Tennessee Titans in the second quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images / Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a forgettable season for more than one reason. In former head coach Doug Pederson's final season with the team, the Jaguars experienced little success, many failures, and numerous injuries.

Still, there were a few bright spots for the Jaguars this season, including rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who burst onto the scene late in the season. After injuries to numerous Jaguars receivers, Thomas emerged as a true No. 1 receiver.

After eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards primarily with a backup quarterback, Matt Harmon of the 33rd Team explained why he feels Thomas is the best rookie wide receiver of the most recent draft class.

“People hate when you bring this up because it sounds like you are trying to discredit Brian Thomas Jr., but he did thrive at the end of the season from a volume perspective because Christian Kirk is out, Evan Engram is out, Gabe Davis is out," Harmon said. "I think the Jaguars’ coaching staff, probably a little too late, got to the point where ‘we are just going to make Brian Thomas the first read of every concept, and we are going to use him in multiple ways.’ 

"The fact that he responded to that, I think, shows you that growth trajectory. Really, in December and late in the season this year, I think he was much, much better than he was as an early rookie player, where we saw him work very well against press-man coverage, particularly, I would say, the intermediate and downfield area. 

"The more and more we got of him as a rookie, I think he worked better against zone coverage. He would consistently get uncovered and make himself a reliable target. You do not get 30 percent of your team’s passing targets by accident. Brian Thomas Jr, I think, certainly had earned that promotion long before he even got it. 

"I think he is a great player. I think he probably has to be considered the best rookie [wide receiver] of the bunch with the way he played late in the year. That dynamic ability, you want to hope he can only get better and better as he continues to hone the craftsman part of the game."

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