Jacksonville’s first-round selection in the 2024 NFL draft, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., signed his rookie contract with the Jaguars on Friday, the team announced.
7 is locked in!
We have signed WR Brian Thomas Jr. @Dream_Finders | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/9ZKpURwDgX
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) June 7, 2024
Jacksonville traded back six spots in the first round before securing Thomas, exchanging No. 17 overall with Minnesota for No. 23 and netting pick No. 167 in the fifth round, as well as third and fourth-rounders in 2025.
The Jaguars took running back/return specialist Keilan Robinson with the Vikings’ fifth-rounder.
Thomas, from Walker, La., just outside Baton Rouge, signed with LSU in the class of 2021. He was considered a consensus top-100 high school prospect in the country at the time.
Following two seasons of rotational and some starting contributions with the Tigers, Thomas exploded in 2023, hauling in 68 catches for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns in 13 games, on the receiving end of passes from Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels, who Washington took with the second overall pick in the draft.
Thomas earned Third-Team All-American (Associated Press), Second-Team All-SEC (AP and Coaches) and Biletnikoff Award semifinalist recognition for his play as a junior.
The 6-foot-3, 209-pound Thomas finished his LSU career with 127 receptions for 1,897 yards (14.9 yards per reception) and 24 touchdowns. He went on to post a 4.33-second 40-yard dash and 38.5-inch vertical jump at the NFL combine.
Through rookie minicamp and offseason team activities (OTAs) in Jacksonville, Thomas thus far has lived up to his first-round billing and the Jaguars’ scouting report of his skill set, per his coaches and teammates.
“Brian has done a great job. Brian is what we expected. He is long, fast and smart. So those things have shown up early on of getting him involved,” Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said about Thomas during offseason team activities in May.
“You see obviously the intelligence in the quick twitch, in the long speed show up throughout our practices as we go through things, or even routes on air. He grows every single day. He is a guy that’s very easy to communicate with because he’s intelligent. Football comes naturally to him.”
Thomas was not the only addition to Jacksonville’s wide receiver room as the club revamped the position this offseason, joined alongside veteran free agent signings, Gabe Davis from Buffalo and Devin Duvernay from Baltimore.
The club also signed five undrafted free agent wide receivers after the draft. Two, Wayne Ruby Jr. and David White Jr., have since been placed on Jacksonville’s injured reserve.
Calvin Ridley, who led Jacksonville in receiving yards with 1,016 last season, signed a four-year contract with Tennessee in free agency this past March. The Jaguars released former starting receiver Zay Jones and allowed kick returner/backup receiver Jamal Agnew to hit free agency, too.
With Thomas signed, Jacksonville’s 2024 draft class is now fully under contract.