Much of the hype surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ 2025 offense has centered on number two-overall draft pick Travis Hunter. And, rightfully so, Hunter should add plenty of explosion on both sides of the ball in his upcoming rookie season.
But, some people are forgetting about last year’s rookie phenom, Brian Thomas, Jr. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence certainly hasn’t, he believes Thomas is one of the best wideouts in all of football.
“I think the talent has always been there,” Lawrence said in a press conference. “Now he has a full year under his belt. He’s one of the top receivers in the league. My confidence in him after seeing him do his thing for a year now, when you get the one-on-one, you feel really confident about our guy. I have a lot of confidence in him.
“He’s smart, it’s another system he is learning. Two years, two systems. I have just been impressed with how he carries himself and the work he puts in. You can tell he studies because he comes in here and he knows his stuff. It’s not an easy system to learn. He’s done a really nice job.”
Thomas shined in his first year
Thomas was the No. 23-overall selection in 2024 out of LSU (yet another dominant LSU WR along with Justin Jefferson, Malik Nabers and Ja’Marr Chase) and caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Thomas ranked first in rookie receiving yards, despite impressive rookie years from Nabers (109 catches!), Brock Bowers (112 catches!) and Ladd McConkey, all of whom finished with 1,000+ yards. Thomas was third in the NFL amongst rookies in catches with 87.
Former Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith is very high on Thomas following his rookie year.
Lawrence and Thomas getting on the same page
Lawrence only played in 10 games last year due to injury, so he didn’t get to work with Thomas as much as he would have liked to. That said, Lawrence threw Thomas all 10 of his touchdowns in 2024, so there is a lot to look forward to.
“I feel like we were just starting to get that last season, then I went down, and we didn’t finish the year together,” Lawrence said. “Just being able to watch him even though I wasn’t playing — watching his one-on-one reps, the stuff we were doing with him last year, the situations he was put in, how he was able to adapt, play the slot and move outside and really take advantage of every matchup. That also gave me a ton of confidence.
“This is a guy that you can move anywhere, you can do anything, and he is going to find a way to get the ball because he is just that good.”
If Lawrence can stay healthy, the Jaguars could have a very explosive offense this year with a wide receiver duo considered by some to already be a top-10 pairing in the NFL.
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