5 Takeaways on Brian Thomas' Big Day and More From Jaguars OTA No. 4

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have wrapped up their fourth OTA session of the 2026 offseason, and we were there for it all.

Liam Coen's squad has been hard at work for the last week at the Miller Electric Center, and we once again saw more than a few Jaguars make standout plays during OTAs. So, what did we see over the course of OTA No. 4? We break it down below.

Brian Thomas Jr. Has a Massive Day

btj — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) hauls in a reception during the first organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Monday, May 19, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The biggest story that has developed at Jaguars OTAs so far? The development of Brian Thomas Jr. The Jaguars' third-year receiver has been on the wrong end of plenty of criticism dating back to his struggles in 2025, but by all accounts both he and the Jaguars have made it a focus to work through those issues. Liam Coen himself said after Monday's practice that he is happy with the offseason Thomas has had, and it would be hard not to be after the day he had on Monday.

Thomas' practice on Monday was reminicisent of his rookie year joint practice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneeers. Over and over and over, cornerbacks tried to keep up with his speed and they just couldn't. Jarrian Jones fell victim to a deep touchdown early in practice in which Thomas created seperation with ease and Lawrence simply dropped the ball right into his hands. That was not their only deep connection on the day, either.

Thomas is starting to stack strong pracctices on top of each other, and it is for the second week in a row that the offense's biggest plays have flowed through him. The Jaguars are chucking it deep a ton in practice, and Thomas has been the biggest person to benefit from it so far.

Parker Washington Makes Plays, But CBs Fight Back

Parker Washington has been an offseason MVP in back-to-back seasons, and he is going for the hat trick. While he was not as consistently dominant today as he was last week, Washington still made some big catches for the Jaguars on Monday. He was a big part of the Jaguars pushing the ball downfield, making an impressive deep catch both at the start and then at the end of practice. He continues to look like a difference-maker.

With that said, Jarrian Jones and Montaric Brown deserve credit for punching back for the cornerback room. Jones and Brown were each able to make their own plays in coverage against Washington, with Brown recording an interception of Lawrence late in practice. Brown and Jones are a tough duo to go against in these types of settings, and they made sure Washington did not have everything come easy to him like it did a week ago.

Two Young Defenders Stand Out

Two young Jaguars defenders caught my eye on Monday: second-year cornerback Jabaar Muhammad and second-year linebacker Jack Kiser. Muhammad has been one of the early winners of OTAs on the whole, making big plays in coverage a week ago and then continuing to do so on Monday. Muhammad had multiple pass breakups again during Monday's practice and looks dangerously close to recording an interception. The Jaguars are deep at cornerback, but do not forget about him.

As for Kiser, he may not have the feel of a player the Jaguars will have to rely on often this year, but who knows when that could change? He looks like the next man up behind Foyesade Oluokun, and he certainly looked prepared for that role on Monday. He made multiple plays in coverage to prevent catches that deserve recognition. He has been somewhat of a forgotten man this offseason, but Monday looked like one of his most impactful practices as a Jaguar.

Josh Hines-Allen Takes Control

Josh Hines-Allen was back on the field for OTAs on Monday, and it was hard to not notice him. Hines-Allen commands constant attention on the field regardless of the setting of the practice and whether pads are on, and this was no different on Monday. Even without Hines-Allen or the offensive line being in pads and going 100%, it was clear just how dominant the Jaguars' top defender was.

Hines-Allen completely took control of team drills once the defensive line joined the fray to try to slow down the Jaguars' passing game. There are no "sacks" during this time of the year and quarterbacks can simply hold onto the ball, but if it was live action then Hines-Allen would have had a handful of sacks. He looks as explosive as always, and nobody the Jaguars put in front of him slowed him down. He has all the makings of a player entering another productive season.

The State of the RBs

There was again no Chris Rodriguez Jr. on the field for the Jaguars, which meant Bhayshul Tuten was the clear lead back on the day, followed by LeQuint Allen Jr. and then DeeJay Dallas and undrafted rookie running back J'Mari Taylor. While it will be tough to fully evaluate the running back room until it is completely healthy and until pads are on, it was still worth noting that there was a standout performance or two amongst the group.

Allen looked comfortable as a pass-catcher and route-runner out of the backfield during 7-on-7 and team drills. This was always going to be an important time of the year for Allen due to the fact that any expanded usage of his skill-set would likely come as a pass-catcher due to his role as the team's primary third-down back. To see him produce in this setting is exactly what the Jaguars needed.

As for Taylor, he simply continues to impress. He showed good speed on one long run that he bounced outside, and he also got open deep on a few long routes out of the backfield. He certainly looks like he belongs in the mix to be the Jaguars' No. 4 running back once the pads come on and things become a bit more real.

Play of the Day

trevor lawrenc — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) takes a snap during the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 18th and final training camp practice at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Wednesday August 20, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The best play of the day has to be the deep pass that Lawrence uncorked to Brian Thomas Jr. at the very start of 7-on-7. For a team that has emphasized pushing the ball downfield since the first OTA practice last week, this was far and away the best example yet of the Jaguars taking a leap in this regard. For a duo that has not always been very good at connecting deep in practice settings, this touchdown might have been one of the best practice reps they have ever had. Really.

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