Tag: Brian Thomas Jr.

2024 NFL draft: 6 realistic options for Bills in first round

2024 NFL draft: 6 realistic options for #Bills in first round:

The Buffalo Bills will make the 28th pick in the first round of this year’s NFL draft. The Bills have several needs to round out their roster. With a pending salary cap crunch, it’s vital that the Bills make the most of this year’s draft. Even more so, it’s essential that Buffalo finds a difference-maker with their first-round pick.

We examined the Bills’ depth chart and ran several mock drafts to see which players will most likely be available to fit Buffalo’s needs at the No. 28 draft slot. Here are six options that realistically will be available for the Bills in the first round:

Panthers 2024 post-combine meetings tracker

Does anybody need a list of 2024 draft prospects the Panthers have spoken with thus far? We got you.

The 2024 scouting combine is now in the books. 40s have been dashed, 20s have been shuttled, benches have been pressed and vertical and broads have been jumped.

Oh, and there were plenty of talks to be had.

Among the annual activities at the combine are the meetings between prospects and potentially interested teams. And as far as the Carolina Panthers are concerned, we may have to pay a bit more attention to who they’re talking to since their first pick doesn’t pop up until the second round.

So, we’ll help you out.

Here are all the known players—whether they were at the combine, Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl or even the College Gridiron Showcase—the Panthers have spoken with to this point:

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5 takeaways from Day 3 of the NFL Combine

The receivers ran wild on Day 3 of the NFL Scouting Combine.

The NFL Scouting Combine continued on Saturday with the quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers taking the field in Lucas Oil Stadium.

The importance of the combine is more for the medicals and team interviews but the testing does help confirm what you see on tape or it may force you to go back to take a look because a prospect performed better than expected or fell short of expectations.

The Indianapolis Colts are set at quarterback and running back but have questions for depth so those position groups shouldn’t be overlooked this weekend. Another pass catcher should be added to the Indy offense so I wouldn’t be surprised to see one or two of the receivers that were on the field to return to it next fall.

Here are the five biggest takeaways from Day 3 of the NFL combine:

Brian Thomas Jr. posts best Relative Athletic Score in LSU history at NFL combine

Receiver Brian Thomas Jr. posted the best RAS score in LSU history on Saturday.

Brian Thomas Jr.’s draft stock is once again on the rise after putting on a show at the NFL combine over the weekend.

Throughout 2023, Thomas put his rare blend of size and speed on film. That athleticism was evident at the combine, with Thomas posting an official time of 4.33 in the 40-yard dash.

That’s elite speed for anyone. But for a 6-foot-3 and 209-pound receiver, it really stands out.

With his vertical and broad jump numbers marked as “great,” Thomas was able to post the best Relative Athletic Score in LSU history.

Thomas’ score of 9.97 wasn’t just LSU’s best, but it was one of the best in combine history. Only nine receivers had posted a better score in the event’s history.

Thomas’ ability was on display in the drills too, topping out at 22.91 mph on a go-route — the best mark at the combine.

LSU’s previous top RAS was D.J. Chark’s score of 9.94 in 2018. Thomas and Chark, along with [autotag]Patrick Peterson[/autotag], are the only three players in LSU history to surpass a 9.90 RAS.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Playmaking WR draft prospect says he met with Patriots at NFL combine

The Patriots could be eyeing more than just Jayden Daniels at LSU

LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. confirmed he met with the New England Patriots this week.

Thomas recorded 68 catches for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns last season with the Tigers. Overall, he has recorded 127 catches for 1,897 yards and 24 touchdowns in three seasons of play. Thomas was clearly one of the team’s best playmakers, averaging 17.3 yards per catch in 2023.

The former LSU standout indicated he understood that he would have to adapt a bit to the weather conditions, if he were to play in New England. He could be a first-round selection, but he could also slip into Round 2, which would give the Patriots flexibility in a draft where they need to add as many playmakers as possible.

It will be interesting to see how the Patriots approach the wide receiver position and if Thomas is a legitimate target on their draft board. He is certainly a playmaker at one of the greatest positions of need for the team this offseason.

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Bengals met with another LSU star WR at scouting combine

Could the Bengals go back to LSU for another star WR?

Could the Cincinnati Bengals go back to the LSU well at wide receiver early in the 2024 NFL draft?

It’s always something worth wondering — especially now that the team has met with LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. at the scouting combine.

Thomas, who had 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns last year while averaging better than 17 yards per catch, is one of the draft’s best prospects at a super-deep position.

In our latest mock, for example, he falls past the Bengals at No. 18.

But the Bengals might do some critical thinking if that scenario unfolds. Tee Higgins figures to remain around for one more year on the franchise tag, but beyond that is a question mark. They’re expected to lose Tyler Boyd to free agency this offseason.

Adding Thomas to the same offense as Ja’Marr Chase and letting him have an impact all over the formations as a rookie before letting him assume the No. 2 spot as a sophomore isn’t something anyone should fully rule out just yet.

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LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr. meets with Panthers at combine

The Panthers were amongst the many teams who have already met with LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr.

The Carolina Panthers will be searching high and low for help at the wideout position this offseason. And while this particular prospect could be a bit too high out of their reach, the team continued their due diligence over at the combine.

During his media availability on Friday, Louisiana State University receiver Brian Thomas Jr. told reporters that he’s already formally met with the Panthers in Indianapolis. He’s also—per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston—spoken with the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound pass catcher is one of this draft’s top big-play merchants. In his final season as a Tiger, which ended with a second-team All-SEC nod, Thomas Jr. recorded 68 receptions for 1,117 yards (17.3 yards per catch) and 17 touchdowns.

Thomas Jr., at least as of now, is not expected to dip into the second round—where the Panthers await with the 33rd overall pick.

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Daniel Jeremiah lists trio of WRs who fit the Colts

Daniel Jeremiah listed a trio of potential WR selections for the Colts.

When it comes to offseason objectives, getting more explosive on the offensive side of the ball is near the top of the list for the Indianapolis Colts.

One way they can do that is through the 2024 NFL draft. This class is known to be an extremely strong group at the wide receiver position, which means the Colts are likely in play for one of them at the No. 15 overall pick.

In his pre-combine conference call with the media, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah had a trio of wideouts he believes fits what the Colts need.

“If you want to get more explosive and you are looking potentially at wide receivers that could be there at that point in time, you know, Brian Thomas who we just mentioned would probably be at the top of my list from LSU. He would give them that and somebody who can really, really get vertical,” Jeremiah said Thursday. “I wouldn’t sleep on — I have him a little lower, but I think there’s a chance you see Adonai Mitchell and Troy Franklin kind of climb up into potentially into that realm. Those are some wide receivers.”

Thomas has been a popular candidate for the Colts at No. 15 while Franklin and Mitchell are viewed more as late-Round 1, early-Round 2 picks.

Thomas’ elite acceleration and burst off the line of scrimmage give him the ability to eat space quickly against off-coverage while helping him beat press coverage as well.

Franklin out of Oregon is a true burner. Though he’s a bit lean at around 183 pounds, he has the height, length and route nuance to be a serious vertical threat in Shane Steichen’s offense. He may not be a ball-winner on contested catches, but he understands the details of route running and how to manipulate the leverage of defenders.

Mitchell is an intriguing prospect, but he fits more into the X-receiver role while Thomas and Franklin profile better as Z-receivers. Still, Mitchell is a fun prospect because of his abilities as a route technician. He maintains balance and speed throughout his breaks and is especially impressive on digs and comebacks, which are tougher routes for players of his size.

The only question with Mitchell is whether he would see enough playing time with Michael Pittman Jr. expected to stay. If Pittman surprisingly leaves, Mitchell would be an intriguing replacement.

The Colts have a lot of ways they can go with the No. 15 overall pick, and it will be interesting to see how the wide receiver market shakes out during the first half of the draft.

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ESPN insider Field Yates sends Bills Brian Thomas Jr. in 2024 NFL draft mock

A WR for the #Bills again:

ESPN NFL insider Field Yates predicts a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills during the 2024 NFL draft at these early stages of the offseason.

Free agency changes a team’s situation for the draft, but in most cases so far, many predict something similar to unfold for the Bills at the event.

So who is the prospect this time? In ESPN’s prediction, it’s LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. to Buffalo at No. 28 overall.

In any scenario the Bills select a wideout, Gabe Davis has likely signed elsewhere during free agency. Considering his goodbye message to Buffalo before he even hits the open market? Davis seems likely to depart.

And Thomas could be the exact type of player to replace him.

Davis is a big-body target, as is Thomas. But Davis never really rounded out his game. Thomas, a 6-foot-4 receiver, had an impressive breakout 2023 at LSU with 68 catches for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns.

But according to The Draft Network, he might profile similar to Davis. His deep-ball ability is praised but his route tree is not. However, Thomas is raw, could the Bills see a player they can help improve?

Yates’ Thomas to Buffalo’s analysis, and highlights of Thomas, can be found below:

No player scored more receiving touchdowns in 2023 than Thomas (17), and his deep speed and acceleration might be unparalleled in this class. The Bills have relied on Gabe Davis as a deep threat in recent seasons, but he is a free agent and has been an up-and-down contributor (nine games last season with two or fewer catches). Thomas would provide a vertical spark for Josh Allen and a Buffalo offense that did not produce a single play of 20-plus yards in its divisional round loss to Kansas City.

2024 NFL mock draft: Offense dominates in first round

There are quarterbacks, receivers and hog mollies aplenty in our opening first-round mock draft.

Well, let’s take our first shot at this, shall we?

Here are our first set of projections for the first round of the 2024 NFL draft: