Everything I Saw at Day 5 of Jaguars Training Camp: Brian Thomas Jr.'s Big Grab

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars put on the shoulder pads for the first time in training camp on Day 5, and it led to the most exciting day of camp yet.

With Day 5 of training camp came plenty of key moments for the Jaguars' running game, their offensive line, and all other parts of the roster. But what exactly did we see on Monday morning at the Miller Electric Center? We break it down below.

BTJ Has a Day

Jacksonville Jaguars Wide Receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) hauls in a pass during the fourth day of NFL Training Camp in shells at the Miller Electric Center on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It seems like the Jaguars' wide receiver room is taking turns at having big days. Day 4 belonged to Travis Hunter. Day 3 was all about red-zone scores and Jakobi Meyers. Day 2 was domination from Parker Washington. Then on Day 5, it became the Brian Thomas Jr. show. He was not the only Jaguars pass-catcher to earn high marks on the day, with Parker Washington making a very impressive sideline catch in team drills. But Thomas did make the biggest impact.

Thomas made the biggest play of the day and perhaps the biggest play of camp when he beat Montaric Brown downfield for a deep bomb from Trevor Lawrence. It was the first deep ball that Lawrence and Thomas have really connected on during team drills in camp, and boy was it worth the wait. The two nearly connected on a similar pass on Sunday, but on Monday was when they were able to put it together.

It remains to be seen exactly what kind of role Thomas will have in terms of pure volume, but he has eliminated the drops throughout training camp and the offseason, and on Monday the big plays began to follow.

Chris Rodriguez Jr. Introduces Himself

CHRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ J — Jacksonville Jaguars running back Christian Rodriguez Jr. (24) looks on during the third day of NFL Training Camp at the Miller Electric Center on Friday, July 31, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Well, well, well, hello Chris Rodriguez Jr. The Jaguars' veteran running back has been a big storyline all training camp after he spent the first three days doing only individual drills as the Jaguars worked him back in slowly, but he took a big step on Sunday after taking his first carries in team drills of camp. Then on Monday, he got even more work and took part in the live-contract running drills the Jaguars held at the start of team drills.

Rodriguez did not outpace Bhayshul Tuten in terms of carries, but he did have the most compelling run of the day when he met safety Caleb Ransaw in the hole and bowled him over for several yards after contract. The Jaguars are expecting Rodriguez to come in and deliver tough yards up the middle from the jump, and he seemed to do that on every single touch he had on Monday.

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said earlier in training camp that it would be hard to fully appreicate what Rodriguez does until the pads come on. Well, the pads are on now, and I think you can start to consider Rodriguez appreciated after a run like the one he had on Monday.

Anton Harrison Dominates

It is tough to really evaluate offensive linemen during the first few days of training camp because the lack of pads just makes it an unfair fight with the defensive linemen. That is why the first day of pads is always highlighted by one-on-ones between the offensive and defensive lines. It might not be the best drill in terms of projecting on-field success, but it does give a chance to see some key reps up front. And if there was a winner from Monday's set of one-on-ones, it has to be Jaguars offensive tackle Anton Harrison.

Harrison spent his third day in a row taking snaps at left tackle, and he shut down the opposing pass-rusher in virtually each rep he had. He was able to provide resistance to a power rush from Josh Hines-Allen that few tackles would be able to match, and he also had a pair of absolutely dominant reps against Danny Striggow. In terms of Harrison's career, Monday might have been the best he has ever looked in this drill.

Will Harrison actually play left tackle for the Jaguars when things get real in a few weeks? Could he actually be their backup plan for Cole Van Lanen? It is tough to answer either question right now, but he sure seems like a viable option based on the way he has played.

One Area That Was a Work in Progress

The one glaring negative from the Jaguars' fifth day of camp, to me, was the issues between Trevor Lawrence and Parker Washington on downfield routes. Washington got behind the defense twice on Monday, but Lawrence failed to give him a catchable ball each time and two should-be touchdowns turned into two incompletions. It is worth pointing out it was raining and the ball was wet, but this felt like two plays that should have been the talk of the day.

Washing and Lawrence's chemistry has been clear as day throughout all of camp, and Washington has been top-notch at winning passes on the sideline. But Monday was their chance to really develop their downfield connection, and the Jaguars' offense failed to take advantage of it. Just because Washington is built like a slot receiver doesn't mean he can't be a top deep threat, but the Jaguars will need this connection to step up.

Play of the Day

brian thoma — Jacksonville Jaguars Wide Receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) catches a pass during the fourth day of NFL Training Camp in shells at the Miller Electric Center on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The biggest play of the day was Thomas' catch over Brown. Not only was it a massive gain down the sideline in the rain, but Thomas also ... caught it one-handed? It looked just like the one-handed catch he made down the sideline in the home win against the Indianapolis Colts in 2025, and it might be the play of camp so far.

Other Notes

Some other pass-rush notes: Ruke Orhorhoro was a problem for the Jaguars in one-on-ones and then had two sacks in team drills. He turned it on for Monday's practice.

Ventrell Miller recorded a tackle for loss during team run drills and, in general, was flying all over the field against the run.

Wyatt Milum struggled to block Travon Walker in one-on-ones. It is tough to blame him considering the mismatch that Walker is when lined up inside, but these were not really close.

Zach Durfee recorded a sack in team drills, and he conntinues to stack good days.

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