Can Brian Thomas Jr. hit 1,000 yards receiving for the Jaguars as a rookie?

The Jaguars are replacing Calvin Ridley with Brian Thomas Jr. after selecting him in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Can he reward them with 1,000 yards as a rookie?

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. listens to questions during a press conference Friday, April 26, 2024 at EverBank StadiumÕs Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville Jaguars selected LSUÕs wide receiver Thomas Jr. as the 23rd overall pick in last nightÕs NFL Draft. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

After losing Calvin Ridley in free agency, the Jacksonville Jaguars got quarterback Trevor Lawrence a new toy in the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. with pick No. 23.

Expected to step into some big shoes as a rookie, what can the Jaguars expect from Thomas Jr. in a room with Christian Kirk and Gabriel Davis?

Projected to be the Jaguars' third-leading receiver behind Kirk and tight end Evan Engram, ESPN's Mike Clay estimates Thomas Jr. to fall just short of the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie. Clay projects Thomas Jr. to finish his first season in the NFL with 814 yards receiving and eight touchdowns on 100 targets and 61 catches.

Given his dynamic skillset down the field but lack of route refinement to every level of the field, we could see Thomas take a bit of an adjustment period to an NFL route tree. Finishing with 800 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie would still be a win for all of the Jaguars, Lawrence, and Thomas Jr.