Jaguars Roundtable: Who Will Lead the Team in Receiving in 2024?

Will it be Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, Gabe Davis, or Brian Thomas Jr?

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7), wide receiver Gabe Davis (0) and wide receiver Christian Kirk (13) look on during the first day of an NFL football training camp practice Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

Throughout the 2024 season, the Jaguars On SI staff is going to come together to produce weekly roundtables, delivering answers on every hard-hitting Jaguars and AFC South topic.

This week, we pose the question of who will effectively be the Jaguars' No. 1 receiver -- who will lead the team in catches, yards and touchdown catches?

We break it down below.

John Shipley: I have been on record saying I think the Jaguars' passing game is going to flow primarily through Christian Kirk and Evan Engram. Not only has this already been the case for two seasons in a row, but they are the only two targets in the offense who Trevor Lawrence has extensive experience and chemistry with. The difference in Lawrence's sync with those two and his two new pass-catchers was clear in the offseason. That will change some, but not enough to make me think Brian Thomas Jr. or Gabe Davis take a ton of targets away from them.

My guess is Engram leads the team in catches while Kirk leads the team in yards. They are targeted at identical rates in most cases, but Kirk has a more vertical role. As for touchdowns, I do think I will go with Davis in that aspect. He is a big-play and red-zone threat and neither Kirk or Engram have had a ton of red-zone success for the Jaguars.

Tyler Carmona: The Jaguars wide receiver room has gone through some significant changes since last season. While Christian Kirk is entering his third season with the team, off-season additions like Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas Jr will have a new opportunity to capitalize on their potential in a Trevor Lawrence-led offense. Throughout his career, Kirk has proven to be a solid contributor from the slot as long as his health persists. Meanwhile, there is some uncertainty surrounding Davis' inconsistent production in Buffalo. Although Brian Thomas Jr led all Division 1 FBS players in receiving yards last season, it is fair to expect that any rookie may go through a gradual adjustment process.

Kirk's production didn't falter in 2023 due to any fault of his own, he was on pace to finish with 80 catches and over 1,000 receiving yards last season before missing the last five games of the season to a groin tear. After the departure of Calvin Ridley, I expect Kirk to lead the team in receptions, serving as Trevor Lawrence's most reliable and targeted receiver. Gabe Davis has proved he has the potential to take over games if given the opportunity. He has finished among the league’s top-10 in yards per catch through each of the last two seasons. I expect Davis to lead the team in receiving yards and touchdowns.

Kyle Nash: So a lot of this is dependent on how successful the run game is to balance the passing attack. For the purpose of this exercise, I’m assuming that the Jags successfully make Travis Etienne great again. For who hauls in most catches this coming season, regardless of how Etienne does running the ball, tight end Evan Engram will be the man. The Duval Devout themselves seem to forget about him on the regular when they talk hype for the Jaguars -- how much will defenses forget about him if they even have the appropriate talent in their linebacking corps to cover him?

As for most yardage, the answer seems simple for Christian Kirk to devour turf in 2024. As a solid route runner and the go-to guy on the roster since he first arrived in 2022, Kirk has always been a weapon that head coach Doug Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor have relied on to be a surprise despite being the most obvious and experienced weapon in the receiver corps.

That being said, when it comes to who has the most touchdown catches, I have Gabe Davis. Currently in his NFL career, every sixth catch Davis secures is a touchdown (one in every 11 targets as well for those who are counting). While I think Brian Thomas Jr. will have some scores for sure as a rookie deep threat, Gabe as a larger body with experience making contested receptions will likely be a featured option in the red zone in his new offense.

Zach Schultz: Christian Kirk is my answer for catches and receiving yards. He has the best connection with Trevor and the new speed outside with Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis should open up more room for Kirk to operate and to gain YAC. Kirk has been the most trusted receiver since he arrived and there is no reason for that to change now. As far as touchdowns, I'm going to say Gabe Davis. His deep threat ability and size in the red zone are both things that have been lacking in Jacksonville the last few seasons. Look for Davis to help the team's recent red zone struggles.

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