The Jaguars exited the 2024 NFL draft with nine new contributors, bolstering their roster with potential after signing eight free agents between March and April in their offseason-long effort to reclaim postseason status this year.
How impactful might Jacksonville’s rookie class be as the team chases a playoff spot?
Jaguars Wire is projecting roles and rookie production for each of Jacksonville’s 2024 draft picks, launching this series with a look at the Jaguars’ first-round, No. 23 overall selection, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
Brian Thomas Jr.’s projected role with the Jaguars
Thomas’ acquisition was one of three significant additions to Jacksonville’s wide receiver room this offseason, paired with the signings of veterans Gabe Davis and Devin Duvernay in free agency.
One for one: Thomas is viewed as the heir apparent to Calvin Ridley, who left Jacksonville to sign a massive contract with Tennessee in free agency; Davis will replace Zay Jones, a 2023 starter who the Jaguars released in April; Duvernay will supplant Jamal Agnew, whose contract expired in March, among the team’s receiver depth and as its primary return specialist.
The Jaguars return tight end Evan Engram, whose 114 receptions last year were the second-most in a single season in franchise history, and slot receiver Christian Kirk to the pass-catching lineup, too. Kirk’s 787 receiving yards led Jacksonville before his season-ending groin injury in Week 13.
While Ridley’s role was sizeable — he led the Jaguars with 1,016 receiving yards last season — and expectations are high for the first-round prospect, Thomas won’t necessarily face pressure to perform like an established No. 1 wide receiver during his rookie year considering the talent surrounding him in Jacksonville’s passing game.
Instead, he should have some time to acclimate to the speed of the NFL without being relied upon as a make-or-break function of the Jaguars’ offense.
Thomas is projected to start at outside wide receiver opposite Davis, with Kirk in the slot and Engram moving around the formation as a versatile tight end. Duvernay and second-year receiver Parker Washington are likely to crack the rotation in different receiver sets.
The Jaguars could deploy Thomas from the slot to create mismatches against linebackers and some safeties with his physical and athletic profile in mind, too. The 6-foot-3, 209-pound wideout clocked a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and jumped 38.5 inches vertically at the NFL combine.
Regardless of where he lines up, the Jaguars coveted Thomas for his speed and explosiveness. They believe the attention he’ll demand from opposing defenses will create openings and opportunities for quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the team’s entire passing attack, not to mention his own when he breaks free from coverage.
“I think the number one thing you see is the speed on [Thomas’] film. You see the ability to get behind secondary and the second and third-level defenders. That’s big in our league,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said in April. “A lot of teams try to keep that at bay, they try not to get receivers behind you. But, it’s our job as coaches to make sure that we create opportunities to do that and utilize that speed.
“What that does then, is open up the second-level area. That’s where those 12 to 15 to 20 to 25-yard ranges are really important. That’s where you can spend a lot of time and make a lot of catches in those areas with what we saw on tape with Brian, being able to separate at the top of the route and use that athleticism and use his strength and his size to create some openness there in that second level.”
Brian Thomas Jr.’s projected rookie stats
Projection via Jaguars Wire
- 60 receptions
- 825 yards
- 13.8 yards per reception
- Six touchdowns
60 receptions would have ranked No. 8 among rookie wide receivers in 2023, 825 yards would have ranked No. 5, and six touchdowns would have been tied for No. 5, per StatHead.