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Brian Thomas Jr.

Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. Facing Multi-Week Absence

October 28th, 2024 at 2:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jaguars will be without Christian Kirk for the remainder of the season. The team’s receiver depth chart is set to be increasingly thin for a short-term period.

Rookie Brian Thomas Jr. is dealing with a chest/rib injury he suffered on Sunday. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports a two-to-four week absence should be expected as a result. Thomas is seeking a second opinion on the matter, and he informed Fowler’s colleague Michael DiRocco MRI results confirmed no major injury took place.

While the first-rounder aims to practice as early as this week, he is in danger of missing time. Any absence would be notable in its own right given how impactful he has been for Jacksonville’s offense so far. In the wake of losing Kirk to a broken collarbone, however, missing Thomas would add further to the issues facing the team on the depth chart.

Selected 23rd overall in April, Thomas was the second LSU wideout to be added during Day of the draft (joining Malik Nabers in that respect). Jacksonville’s WR room lost Calvin Ridley during free agency, something which paved the way for a notable workload right away. Thomas has not disappointed so far; the 22-year-old has reached 60 or more yards in a game five times this year. He currently sits in a tie for sixth in the NFL with 573 yards, and his five receiving touchdowns place him in a tie for third.

The Jags added Gabe Davis in free agency, and he has been a regular presence so far in his debut Jacksonville campaign. The former Bill was not targeted yesterday, but that will likely change moving forward with Kirk out of the picture. Returner Devin Duvernay is currently on IR, but once he returns he could also be in line for an increased role on offense. In any case, Thomas’ health will be a key factor in the team’s efforts to rebound from a 2-6 start.

Dolphins Considered WR Brian Thomas Jr. In Round 1

September 4th, 2024 at 1:13pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Mike McDaniel has built his Dolphins offense around speed. His first move after arriving in Miami was bringing Tyreek Hill into the fold, and he’s since prioritized speed in his veterans (Raheem Mostert, Braxton Berrios) and rookies (De’Von Achane, Jaylen Wright), all of whom registered sub-4.4 40-yard times before being drafted.

McDaniel nearly added another speedster to his offense this past offseason: LSU wide receiver prospect Brian Thomas Jr. The LSU product was available to the Dolphins at the No. 21 overall pick, and according to McDaniel, the Dolphins did their due diligence on Thomas in the pre-draft process.

McDaniel described Thomas as a “super talented player that has a unique combination of being able to be a down-the-field third-level receiver that can track and make plays down the field, while also having a route-running skill set to do your underneath and intermediate routes.” The Malik Nabers sidekick led Division I-FBS with 17 touchdown receptions, breaking through en route to first-round status.

Thomas’ 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the Combine indeed would have fit into the Dolphins’ recent skill-position blueprint, as Hill and Jaylen Waddle represent the NFL’s fastest active receiving duo. But the Dolphins opted to draft Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson at No. 21 overall instead. Two picks later, the Jaguars selected Thomas, giving Trevor Lawrence a new weapon to replace the departed Calvin Ridley.

“He’s a very talented individual that we will be well aware of when he’s out there on the field,” McDaniel said of Thomas. “It won’t be a surprise, because we did a lot of work on him coming out.”

Miami’s receiver interest is certainly interesting, given what the team already had invested at the position. The Dolphins were eyeing a big-ticket Waddle extension, which came to fruition after the draft, and had already seen Hill begin to angle for a contract adjustment. Hill has since agreed to an updated deal. The Dolphins did lose Cedrick Wilson from their receiving corps this offseason, though the team did not see the former $8MM-per-year player pan out.

Shortly after passing on Thomas, the Dolphins resumed their Odell Beckham Jr. pursuit. Miami had made Beckham an offer before the draft but did not agree to terms with the former Pro Bowler until May 3. As the Jaguars will throw a revamped receiving corps at the Dolphins — one that features Thomas and ex-Bills deep threat Gabriel Davis — the Dolphins will not have Beckham. The would-be WR3 is on the shelf until at least Week 5 due to being transferred to the team’s reserve/PUP list last week.

The Robinson pick addressed a much greater need, with the Dolphins finishing last season with Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips sustaining major injuries. While Phillips is back, Chubb remains on Miami’s PUP list. With offseason pickup Shaq Barrett retiring post-draft, the Dolphins will need Robinson to aid their pass rush effort early.

Jaguars Sign Round 1 WR Brian Thomas Jr.

June 7th, 2024 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

A day after the Jaguars inked second-round pick Maason Smith, they have their top pick locked in. The team announced Brian Thomas Jr. has agreed to terms on his rookie deal Friday.

Chosen 23rd overall, Thomas will be tied to a four-year deal that comes fully guaranteed. The Jaguars will have the option of extending the wide receiver’s contract through 2028 via the fifth-year option. The first of the Jags’ three LSU draftees this year will move forward as the team’s centerpiece of an offseason receiver overhaul.

The Jags have swapped out Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones for Thomas and free agent pickup Gabe Davis. Christian Kirk remains attached to the four-year, $72MM deal he signed in 2022, but his complementary crew has changed. The Jags also added former Ravens All-Pro return man/part-time wideout Devin Duvernay. Ridley joined the Titans, despite a Jags offer, in free agency. Jacksonville released Jones shortly after the draft; he has since committed to Arizona.

Linked to eyeing receivers and cornerbacks in the draft, the Jags went with a 6-foot-3, 209-pound pass catcher. They did so after trading the No. 17 overall pick to the Vikings, sliding down six spots and picking up additional draft assets in doing so. The Vikings sent the Jags No. 167, along with third- and fourth-round picks in the 2025 draft, to move up for Dallas Turner. Trent Baalke‘s team will reap the benefits of that deal next year while hoping Thomas can provide immediate production alongside their veteran WR cadre.

Thomas and fellow first-round wideout Malik Nabers teamed to help Jayden Daniels soar to Heisman honors last season. A bigger target than the No. 6 overall pick, Thomas also used last season to build a Round 1 profile. Not topping 400 receiving yards in either of his first two LSU campaigns, Thomas broke through for 1,177 yards and a Division I-FBS-most 17 touchdown receptions. No other player notched more than 15 receiving TDs last season. Thomas subsequently improved his draft stock by running a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the Combine.

Averaging 17.1 yards per catch in 2023, Thomas joins Davis as a deep threat for Trevor Lawrence. This will also qualify as a cheaper WR trio for the Jags, as Ridley was tied to a fifth-year option last season and Jones an $8MM-per-year deal. Davis did sign a three-year, $39MM deal — one packed with three void years to keep the cap hits down — but Thomas will be tied to a rookie deal for four years. Considering only two teams in the fifth-year option era have extended a first-round wideout with two years of rookie-contract control remaining, it represents a safe bet the Jags will ride out Thomas’ rookie deal through 2027.

Jags Select WR Brian Thomas Jr. At No. 23

April 25th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars were recently connected to a move up the board aimed to acquiring a receiver. Despite moving in the opposite direction, the team has still managed to land a high-profile prospect at the position. Jacksonville has selected LSU wideout Brian Thomas Jr. 23rd overall.

This draft featured three top-tier wide receiver prospects; all were off the board by No. 9 overall. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze are respectively bound for Arizona, New York and Chicago. The Jags could not move into that territory, but they will still nab this class’ fourth wideout.

Thomas joins a Jaguars team that has already used plenty of resources to staff its pass-catching posts. The team has Christian Kirk on an $18MM-per-year deal, Gabe Davis at $13MM AAV and Zay Jones in the final year of an $8MM-per-year pact. Evan Engram is also signed to a top-10 tight end contract. The Jags also made a strong run at retaining Calvin Ridley, but the 1,000-yard wideout joined the Titans on a monster accord minutes after the 2024 league year began.

It is certainly arguable the Jags did not need to use such a high draft choice on another receiver, but the team is in negotiations with Trevor Lawrence on what will surely be a $50MM-plus-AAV contract. With Lawrence and Josh Allen soaring into new NFL tax brackets, the Jags will need to begin a new roster phase. Thomas is on track to step into a starting role — in place of one of the veterans — by 2025 (at the latest), and his rookie contract will be valuable for the team.

Working as Nabers’ wingman at LSU last season, Thomas still led Division I-FBS with 17 touchdown receptions. After two sub-400-yard years in Baton Rouge, the 6-foot-3 pass catcher erupted for 1,177 yards to help Jayden Daniels win the Heisman last season. Thomas will have a chance to continue as a complementary option, at least early in his career, alongside a deep WR corps in Jacksonville. The Jags will likely need to throw heavy resources into defense soon, given the unit’s struggles to close out last season.

The Jags did well to land a first-round-level receiver where they did, as they picked up a nice haul from the Vikings t0 move down from No. 17. The Jags acquired No. 167 this and 2025 third- and fourth-round selections from Minnesota. Those will certainly help as Trent Baalke and Co. prepare to retool the roster around a Lawrence extension, which could be finalized before Week 1.

Draft Rumors: Williams, Bears, Fashanu, Latham, Bolts, Bowers, Seahawks, Murphy

April 25th, 2024 at 3:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Pass rusher and wide receiver have been mentioned most often as the Bears‘ targets at No. 9 overall. Though, the player who will almost definitely be chosen at No. 1 (Caleb Williams) in a few hours seems to have Chicago’s D-line ranked outside the top two among his positional priorities here.

“I’d probably go Olu Fashanu because I know he’d put his life on the line for me, protecting me,” Williams said, via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. “Then I’d go one of the top three wide receivers.”

A Penn State-developed tackle, Fashanu played high school football (at Gonzaga College HS in Washington D.C.) with Williams. That makes it unsurprising the 2022 Heisman winner would stump for his old teammate. The Bears are believed to have a tackle addition on their radar for No. 9, with GM Ryan Poles splitting his staff into pods debating the merits of taking a tackle, edge rusher or wide receiver with that pick. Chicago looks to have done more work on wideouts and pass rushers, being linked to adding a weapon — potentially Rome Odunze or tight end Brock Bowers — for Williams. The team has Braxton Jones and 2023 No. 10 overall pick Darnell Wright at tackle. Fashanu grades 15th on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board.

Hours away from Williams starting this draft, here is the latest:

Latest On Teams Targeting WRs In First Round

April 20th, 2024 at 4:08pm CST by Ely Allen

We know that the Steelers have been identified as a team that could be likely to trade for a veteran wide receiver this offseason, but what about teams looking for wide receivers in the first round? A lot of focus has been placed on teams looking to draft quarterbacks, per usual, but Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post provided us with the names of a few teams targeting pass-catchers on Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft. La Canfora identifies the Cardinals, Bears, Colts, Bills, 49ers, and Chiefs as the likely suspects.

Some of these, we’ve heard plenty about already. At No. 4 overall, the Cardinals sit in the line of picks that are all expected to be quarterbacks, according to most mock drafts, meaning they are expected to trade down from the position. Many see them trading back to No. 6, allowing the Giants to select Daniel Jones‘ potential replacement. This would leave them in line to draft the class’s top receiver prospect, Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. This could provide Arizona with a new top receiver after the departure of Marquise Brown to Kansas City.

This would require the Chargers to pass on wide receiver, a huge position of need after watching both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams depart this offseason. While it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see Los Angeles select Harrison, new general manager Joe Hortiz (from Baltimore) has shown an affinity for Notre Dame prospects like Ronnie Stanley and Kyle Hamilton. Combine that with the addition of new offensive coordinator Greg Roman, and connections to Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt make all the sense in the world. Roman’s run-heavy offensive mentality makes tackle a bigger priority than receiver in the first round.

Wide receiver has been seen as less of a priority for the Bears after they acquired Allen in a trade from the Chargers. Still, drafting a top receiver prospect like LSU’s Malik Nabers or Washington’s Rome Odunze could give projected new quarterback Caleb Williams a strong trio of targets with Allen and D.J. Moore. Chicago could pair the draft’s QB1 with a potential WR1 as ESPN’s Matt Miller tells us that there are some teams in the NFL who see Nabers and Odunze as better prospects than Harrison. The three receivers are closer than people may think on most draft boards and their order of preference could come down to scheme and fit.

In Indianapolis, the Colts would love to bring in a first-round receiver for second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. Josh Downs and Alec Pierce were decent options behind Michael Pittman Jr., but having a true weapon across the field could really help both Richardson and Pittman. If Harrison, Nabers, and Odunze find their way off the board by the time the Colts select at No. 15, LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. could fall into their lap, though Odunze could still be available if nobody takes a flyer on him as the best player available regardless of position.

At the back end of the first round, wide receiver has become a big need for the Bills after they watched Gabriel Davis depart in free agency and traded away Stefon Diggs to the Texans. Khalil Shakir now leads the position room, and though the top four receivers aren’t expected to be available by the 28th pick, pairing Shakir with Texas’ Adonai Mitchell, FSU’s Keon Coleman, or Florida’s Ricky Pearsall could be productive.

As for the 49ers and Chiefs in the last two picks of the draft, San Francisco is a bit of surprise inclusion after recently paying Deebo Samuel and still currently denying that Brandon Aiyuk is available via trade. Still, if Aiyuk is potentially on the way out, taking flyer on Mitchell, Coleman, or Pearsall could work out.

As for Kansas City, they’ve tried their fair share of veteran free agent additions for Patrick Mahomes, and will do so again with the addition of Brown this offseason, as well as some draft picks in the second round or later. We’ve seen the Chiefs have success with smaller wide receivers with speed, so bringing in Georgia’s Ladd McConkey, Michigan’s Roman Wilson, or Texas’ Xavier Worthy could make a lot of sense.

Whoever doesn’t hear their name called on the first night of the draft shouldn’t have to wait too long. Dane Brugler of The Athletic’s latest mock draft showed the Panthers selecting McConkey with their first pick of the draft, which will be the first pick of the second round. If McConkey is already off the board, Wilson and Worthy offer similar skill sets.

It’s a deep class for wide receivers this year. Top prospects like Harrison, Nabers, Odunze, and Thomas are considered no-brainers as first-round picks. An early run on those four could see many of the pass-catchers behind them find their way into the first round, as well. Even so, there are nearly 20 wideouts with a projected third-round grade or better. Not only is this a wide receiver class with lots of talent up top, but talent throughout will benefit teams who need receivers but will have to target other positions of need first.

Latest On First-Round WR Prospects

April 8th, 2024 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

The top of the 2024 draft board features an intriguing trio of wideouts (Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze). While the order in which they will hear their names called is in question, there will be other prospects at the position who are selected on Day 1.

In the case of many of the top options in that regard, the pre-draft process has resulted in positive developments. LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr., for instance, has long been ranked as a first-round prospect. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman notes Thomas has impressed evaluators both on and off the field, something which will help his already high draft stock. The 6-3 junior posted 1,177 yards and an FBS-leading 17 touchdowns in 2023, flashing the potential to serve as a high-end secondary WR option (as he did playing alongside Nabers) at a minimum in the NFL.

Aside from the top four receiver prospects, several others have a strong chance of landing near the back end of the first round. Two candidates on that front are Texas’ Xavier Worthy and Georgia alum Ladd McConkey. Both of those wideouts have received first-round grades from a number of NFL teams, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda reports.

Worthy broke the all-time 40-yard dash record during the 2024 Combine, posting a time of 4.21 seconds. Already known to be one of the top vertical threats in this year’s strong class, Pauline notes his Pro Day helped ease concerns about his all-around game translating to the pro level. In the case of McConkey, a faster-than-expected 40 time (4.39) has also helped his stock. Regarded as an elite route runner, the 5-11, 186-pounder will likely be destined to hold a slot role in the NFL but his floor is believed to be higher than most other prospects in the class.

Around the same time that Worthy and/or McConkey are selected, Adonai Mitchell could also very well come off the board. The latter spent his first two seasons at Georgia, making just 38 catches during that span. At transfer to Texas paved the way for a larger offensive role and a sharp increase in production, though; Mitchell posted 854 yards and 11 touchdowns on 55 receptions in 2023. Depending on how teams view him relative to other WR prospects in the same range, Mitchell could be the fifth wideout taken on Day 1.

Of course, a number of highly-regarded pass-catchers will still be available on Day 2. Pauline adds that Ricky Pearsall has seen his stock rise considerably in the lead-in to the draft. The Florida alum has received an early second-round grade from “several teams,” per Pauline and he could be one of many receivers added in the top 50 selections. As teams continue to evaluate the top options at every position over the coming days, receiver remains on track to be a very popular target throughout the top of this year’s draft.