When people talk about NFL receivers from the late 1990s into the 2000s, the first two names that come up are going to be Randy Moss and Terrell Owens. And, rightfully so, but people tend to forget that former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith absolutely belongs in that conversation. I could even argue that for periods of time he was the best all-around receiver in the NFL. Fight me in the comments.
While the Jaguars have struggled to replace Smith since his departure in 2005, it’s not for lack of trying. In 2004, they spent the 9th-overall pick on Reggie Williams and then spent another first rounder on Matt Jones (whatever he was) in 2005. They subsequently threw draft capital at Justin Blackmon (whoops), Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson with mixed results.
That is, until they got to Brian Thomas, Jr. in 2024. After just one season, Thomas has shown that he’s got elite WR potential. Is he in the same group as Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase and A.J. Brown? right now No. But, he’s off to an incredible start and Smith really likes what he sees so far.
“Well, I think he’s much farther ahead of where I was at this point in time in his career, I hadn’t hit the field my first two years in the league, and there he is a pro bowler in his first year, and going into his sophomore year, chances are he’ll probably be a Pro Bowler again,” Smith told Sports Illustrated.
Smith was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round in 1992. He played in seven games, never caught a ball and missed all of 1993 with an injury before latching on with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1994. He was mainly returning kickoffs for the Eagles in the preseason and he was doing it really well, so head-coaching genius Rich Kotite decided to cut him that August. That’s what expansion teams are for! In 1995, the brand-new Jaguars picked him up and the rest is history.
“And I’m extremely excited that he’s playing with my Jaguars,” Smith said. “You know, watching Brian Thomas, Trevor [Lawrence] and now Travis [Hunter], but especially Brian Thomas last year, [he] kept my eyes glued to the TV when they weren’t doing so well and I’m sure it’ll be a bunch of the same. I’m turning on TV to look for Brian Thomas and see what he’s going to do.
“Yeah, he’s on a good road, he’s on the right track, and Jesus … he’s got a very high ceiling,” Smith said, trying to put together a way to describe a player who words hardly do justice for.”
How good does Smith think Thomas can be?
Thomas caught 87 balls for 1,282 and 10 touchdowns in his rookie year. He may have flown under the radar a bit nationally because of how poor the team was, but he was absolutely exceptional despite only having his starting quarterback for 10 games.
“I guess I should put it that way, because we don’t we don’t know how good he can be,” Smith said musing about Thomas’ ceiling. “I think he was just scratching the surface last year and just kind of feeling his way and getting his feet wet during his rookie year. And I look forward to seeing him as the game slows down for him, because the older he gets, the slower the game will get. And once that game slows down, and he can see the holes in the defense a lot more crisper and clearer, he’s going to be a sight to see.”
Smith thinks that Thomas’ ability to stretch the field will open things up for the rest of the offense.
“The ability to come off the ball and get downfield and put pressure on the secondary, I think, is one of his greatest attributes, and we also call it taking the top off the defense,” Smith continued. “If he can put pressure on the safeties in that defense, then it opens up a lot of things underneath in the offense, and the offense should be able to go.
“It’s kind of like, what we what me and Fred [Taylor] and Mark [Brunell] and Keenan [McCardell] were able to do back in the day. I was the guy to put pressure on his safeties, which caused a lot of cover two for our running game. And with two safeties high, they would have to play high on Keenan, and then it would leave, you know, they couldn’t stack the box with our running game. So having a guy that can take the top off the defense is probably the biggest threat on offense, and I look forward to seeing Brian Thomas do that this year.”
Thomas produces regardless of quarterback
Any rookie in the NFL needs the fewest variables possible. With such a steep learning curve at every position, the more a young guy can control the better. For a wide receiver, consistency at the quarterback position would be fantastic, but Thomas didn’t get that last year.
Lawrence started only 10 games, but Thomas continued to produce. For Smith, that means only one thing.
“He’s coming into his own,” Smith said. “Because my whole career I played, even though most of it was with Mark, I had a plethora of quarterbacks that I played with and I had to keep up that same amount of production. So, you know, he’s one of those real go-to receivers.”
As great as Thomas could be, if he’s only a fraction as good as Smith he’ll have had a heck of a career.
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