Film Room: 5 Plays Which Demonstrate What Chris Thompson Brings to Jaguars

While Leonard Fournette once again figures to be the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive centerpiece at running back, there is a new face in Jacksonville's backfield who could make a sizeable impact in 2020 — Chris Thompson.

Thompson, 29, signed to the Jaguars earlier this offseason after establishing himself as one of the NFL's most underrated third down backs in recent years. Thompson, who was an unrestricted free agent after spending his first seven seasons with the Washington Redskins, has appeared in 66 career games and has totaled 250 rushes for 1,194 yards and five rushing TDs and 212 receptions for 1,772 yards and 10 receiving TDs.

Thompson played his entire career with the Redskins (2013-19) and was coached by Jaguars Offensive Coordinator Jay Gruden from 2014-18 and the first five weeks of 2019. Now, Thompson will get a chance to make his mark in Gruden's offense in the duo's first season in Jacksonville.

With Fournette's future up in the air, and with the Jaguars' running backs scoring just five total touchdowns in 2019 (Three by Fournette, two by Ryquell Armstead), Thompson could be set to carve out a role for himself in 2020.

Under Gruden at Washington, Thompson primarily a receiving back. He was targeted at least 48 times in every season he played under Gruden, and recorded fewer than 349 receiving yards in only two seasons.

To get a feel for what he will bring to the Jaguars' offense as a pass-catcher, we took a look at five of his most impressive plays in recent years and what they show about his skill set, with help from NFL Gamepass' coach's film feature.

Play 1

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— Jaguars OnSI (@JaguarsOnSI) May 18, 2020

This is a simple halfback slip screen vs. the New York Giants, a concentrated effort by Washington's offense to get Thompson in space with blockers in front of him. While the play call and blocks thrown helped him a great deal, it is worth noting his instincts in space and ability to get as many hards as possible.

At several different points in this play, Thompson is able to read both the leverage of his blockers and the defenders to maximize his yardage. He could have easily kept his path heading toward the sideline, but instead he picks up on the stretched out defense and stays running with inside leverage, leading to a massive 39-yard gain.

Play 2

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— Jaguars OnSI (@JaguarsOnSI) May 18, 2020

While Thompson does his best work in space, he can still use his athleticism to make plays in the condensed areas of the field such as the red zone. While many think scoring in the red zone is a duty best fit for bigger backs or receivers, it is actually easier to score when you have the agility and explosion to create space for yourself.

Luckily for the Jaguars, Thompson is able to do this with ease. Take the above 13-yard touchdown catch vs. Arizona for example. Thompson runs a route out of the backfield that resembles a pivot route (called an 'M' route here). The linebacker is in man coverage and Thompson's inside step and initial release forces him to open his hips and commit to the middle of the field, giving Thompson plenty of cushion as he turns back to the sideline.

With the space created from the route, Thompson is essentially able to walk into the end zone for the touchdown. Calling man coverage beater routes like this in the red zone could help the Jaguars' offense and Gardner Minshew II quite a bit in 2020 if it works out like this one did.

Play 3

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— Jaguars OnSI (@JaguarsOnSI) May 18, 2020

This is a simple wheel route from Thompson against man coverage, with the middle receiver on the right side of the formation essentially performing a pick on the defender. Thanks to the play call, and the execution by the entire offense, Thompson is wide open on the right sideline for an easy 16-yard touchdown toss from Kirk Cousins.

While this play may not look like much, it needs to be noted how precise Thompson's route was after motioning to the right side of the formation, as well as his hands and concentration while finishing the catch in the corner of the end zone. While most receivers would make this catch with ease, there are a fair amount of running backs who would leave their coach holding his breath when the pass is lobbed in their direction, but this will never be the case with the soft-handed Thompson.

Play 4

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— Jaguars OnSI (@JaguarsOnSI) May 18, 2020

This play is another screen pass to Thompson to let him do his magic in space, but what made this one stand out among others is the move he puts on the initial tackler on his way to a 49-yard gain,

The inside linebacker reads the screen play perfectly, setting himself up in space to tackle Thompson for a minimal gain before he could even get any momentum going. But Thompson is able to catch the ball and immediately turn and begin to make a move on the defender to shake free. He is able to transition seamlessly from a receiver to a runner, using open-field agility to easily thwart the tackle attempt and help himself to a huge gain.

For as many valuable traits as Fournette has, the above play simply isn't one he makes very often. To be able to make the first defender miss can make the difference between a one-yard game and a 49-yard pickup, as Thompson demonstrated.

Play 5

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— Jaguars OnSI (@JaguarsOnSI) May 18, 2020

Another screen pass (common theme here), though this one comes with Thompson lined up at the outside receiver spot in an empty formation. Thrown the quick screen off of the snap, Thompson is able to quickly turn upfield and then do what he does best: make a play in space.

As Thompson moves upfield, he sees a wall of blockers coming from his left to take on the defenders who are set up in front of him. With the blockers cutting off the defenders, there is a crease created to the middle of the field, which Thompson recognizes and then takes advantage of it for a 72-yard gain.

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