Countdown to Jaguars Football: No. 80 and Who Has Donned it Best

Who has been the best No. 80 in the 25-year history of the Jacksonville Jaguars? We take a look here.

In fewer than 100 days, Jacksonville Jaguars will return ... at least as things stand today.

While there is still some uncertainty surrounding the start of the NFL season, the league office has made it clear that they are planning to kick the season off on Sept. 10 and then have every other team play on Sept. 13.

By going off that timeline, we are now just 80 days from watching the Jaguars take the field against the Indianapolis Colts for the first regular season game of 2020.

In an effort to countdown to the start of the season, we will now be going from 95 through 1 to determine the best players to don the teal, black, and white for the Jaguars at each specific number. Yesterday, we tabbed Bryan Walters as the team's best No. 81, but what about the next number?

So when considering each player has worn the No. 80 since Jacksonville's first season in 1995, who has been the most impactful? Since the team's inception, here are the players who have worn the jersey number:

• James O'Shaughnessy: 2017-19
• Julius Thomas: 2015-16 
• Jeremy Ebert: 2013
• Mike Thomas: 2009-12 
• Jerry Porter: 2008 
• Isaac Smolko: 2007 
• Kyle Brady: 1999-2006 
• Willie Jackson: 1995-97

This list is mostly made up of wide receivers and tight ends who had shorter tenures in Jacksonville, including one current player in James O'Shaughnessy, the Jaguars' leading producer from the tight end position last season despite him playing in only five games.

So among this group, who is the best No. 80 in Jacksonville's history? We debate below. 

No. 3: Willie Jackson

The top receiver on the first-ever Jaguars team in 1995, Willie Jackson earns a spot on this list thanks to his contributions to the franchise during the team's infancy years. In Jacksonville's inaugural season, the second-year wide receiver led the team in receptions (53), targets (91), receiving yards (589) and touchdown receptions (five). 

Jackson's tenure in Jacksonville wasn't a long one considering he only played with the team through 1997 and he did see his numbers drop with each corresponding year, but he wrote himself into a small spot in Jaguars' history thanks to his 1995 production. In three years with the team, Jackson played in 46 games and caught 103 receptions for 1,281 yards and 10 touchdown receptions.

No. 2: Mike Thomas

A fourth-round selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, Mike Thomas is best known today for catching one of the greatest Hail Mary's of all-time as a result of a miraculous 50-yard touchdown catch delivered to Thomas by David Garrard in 2010. 

Thomas was a good bit more productive than most other No. 80s in Jaguars' history, a result of his four-year tenure with the team and his impacts on both offense and special teams. Through four seasons, Thomas caught 171 passes for 1,768 yards and six touchdown catches, along with 75 punts returned for 620 yards and one touchdown and 28 kicks returned for 678 yards. While Thomas was never a top wideout for Jacksonville, he was part of one of the most memorable catches in team history and was an important role player for a longer period of time than Jackson was.

No. 1: Kyle Brady

The longest-tenured player on this list, Kyle Brady is likely the tight end Jaguars' fans think about first when they consider the team's best tight ends not named Marcedes Lewis. The bulk of the veteran tight end's career was spent in Jacksonville during his eight-year run with the team, making him one of the franchise's most familiar faces during his tenure. His 110 starts with the team is ranked tenth in the franchise's history, while he is sixth all-time in team receptions, seventh all-time in receiving yards and tenth all-time in receiving touchdowns. 

In Brady's eight seasons in Jacksonville, he appeared in 120 games and caught 241 passes for 2,500 yards (10.4 yards per reception) and 13 touchdowns. Other than Lewis, no tight end produced quite to the level of Brady during his time with the Jaguars, earning Brady the top spot on this list.