5 Observations on Jaguars Minicamp, Day 2: Brian Thomas Jr. Raises the Bar

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Day 2 of the Jacksonville Jaguars' three-day minicamp wrapped up on Wednesday, and there was a familiar name who once again stole the show.

So, what all did we see at the Miller Electric Center on Wednesday as the Jaguars concluded another exciting minicamp practice, and what does it all mean? We break it down below.

Brian Thomas Jr. Has His Best Day Yet

We know. We have come away from more or less every single offseason practice with some kind of rave reviews for third-year wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., and it may seem like a repeated headline at this point. We can only report what we see unfold, however, and it is impossible to watch a Jaguars practice this offseason and not be blown away by the plays Thomas is consistently making. Even with that in mind, Wednesday was Thomas' best practice yet.

Thomas did more than just toast cornerbacks deep on Wednesday, though he did that, too. Lawrence found him for two deep passes, one of which would have been an easy touchdown against Jarrian Jones. The other, which came against Christian Braswell, got the Jaguars within the five-yard line on a deep bomb during an end-of-game drill.

Thomas shined in other areas as well. He beat Montaric Brown, arguably the team's top healthy cornerback, on an impressive sideline route that saw him get open with ease. He also had another big play over the middle of the field, showing off the complete skill-set. The Jaguars' fans in attendance came absolutely unglued each time the ball went to Thomas, and the reactions were deserved: he looks terrific right now.

The way head coach Liam Coen is talking about Thomas is notable right now, too. Coen has never been once to mince words, and people will want to see what he had to say on Wednesday about Thomas and the trajectory he is on.

"It’s hard to not hear everything and also, for himself, I know there were standards in which he wanted to improve upon. And so, the fact that he's just come out here and worked his ass off, having a great attitude, after every play, communication with either myself or Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence] or EB [Wide Receivers Coach Edgar Bennett] or Grant [Offensive Coordinator Grant Udinski], whatever it is, and then making the plays," Coen said.

"That is something that you cannot simulate in routes on air. You cannot simulate that type of confidence until you do it in practice. There's nobody that I've known as a player that just can only turn it on in a game. The whole gamer thing, I don't fully believe in that. I believe that guys elevate their play to go play in a game. Absolutely, but the confidence of the connection and chemistry that they're building, that's real.”

Defense Wins the Day

While Brian Thomas Jr. was the star of the practice, it was a decisive win for the defense as a whole. Anthony Campanile's unit dominated the offense in red-zone drills at the start of the practice, with the offense only converting one touchdown on nine attempts. The offense made their own fair share of plays, but the defense was clearly the winner of most win-loss drills.

This isn't shocking considering the level of complexity that is Coen's offense; backups will normally struggle this time of the year as they learn the scheme. But Campanile's unit looks stickier in coverage than they were this time a year ago, and it certainly looks like the return of Campanile has helped the unit get off to a fast start.

Is Backup QB an issue?

Nobody was every going to confuse the Jaguars' quarterback room as one of the NFL's deepest, but it was tough to watch the Jaguars' backup quarterbacks try to test the defense deep on Wednesday. The Jaguars' quarterbacks (sans Trevor Lawrence) were routinely underthrowing the Jaguars' receivers on Wednesday, and it was hard to not call it anything but a frustrating outing.

That is not to say Nick Mullens, Carter Bradley, and Joey Aguilar didn't make any positive plays. Mullens specifically had a nice touchdown to Austin Trammell on an extended play. But the Jaguars, like any team, look like they are in serious trouble if anything happens to Lawrence. That is not exactly news, but Tuesday hammered that point home.

The Same CB Stood Out ... Again

Yes, Jabbar Muhammad had a great practice -- again. It feels like we have said that after every single offseason practice, but the second-year cornerback out of Oregon has been that good. He recorded his first interception of the offseason program during Tuesday's OTA practice, and he then followed up those efforts with another strong day on Wednesday.

Muhammad made several pass breakups in practice on Wednesday, including a breakup in the red-zone against Austin Trammell that prevented a touchdown. He then recorded his second interception of minicamp by nabbing a bobbled pass from CJ Williams, who has otherwise been very steady. It would be hard to make a 53-man roster right now and not include Muhammad just based on the way he has continued to elevate his game this week.

Rookie Skill-Player Shows Up in a Big Way

tanner kozio — Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Tanner Koziol (89) runs the ball during rookie minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. Today was the second of a three day camp concluding Sunday. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It means something when one of the best defensive players in franchise history is taking note of an offensive rookie. Defensive end Josh Hines-Allen had big praise for fifth-round rookie tight end Tanner Koziol due to his demeanor and willingness to engage with the defense with verbal jabs after he makes big plays, and Koziol has given himself plenty of chances to do so in the last few weeks.

Another chance came on Wednesday with Koziol making the top play of any Jaguars tight end on the day. Koziol has made more plays this offseason than any tight end on the roster not named Brenton Strange, and another one came on Wednesday over the middle of the field with Rayuan Lane draped all over him. It was the second day in a row that Koziol has made an impressive play on the ball against Lane, who had a good rookie season. He is making an impression early on.

Play of the Day

The best play of the day goes to .... undrafted wide receiver Brady Boyd, who had a solid outing. It also came on the final play of the practice, with the Jaguars ending the day on a high note for the offense. Carter Bradley uncorked a deep show to Boyd during an end-of-game drill, and Boyd managed to climb the ladder and snatch the ball against what was generally good coverage. It was a solid impression from the rookie receiver.

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