Jaguars Star Rookie Among League's Best

The Jacksonville Jaguars are off to an abysmal start of the season, but rookie wide receiver and top draft choice Brian Thomas Jr. has been anything but that.

Sep 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) after the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars have had a horrendous 0-4 start. Nothing seems to be going right for the team once considered to be the best assembled in franchise history.

One of the lone bright spots, however, has been rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. Thomas was the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is just another in a long line of talented Tigers wide receivers to grace the NFL, along with Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson.

In three starts, Thomas has 17 receptions for 275 yards and two touchdowns, a 16.2 yards per reception average. Considering the struggles of the offense, with the offensive line's struggle that has been in part one of the reason's for Trevor Lawrence's slow start, it is telling.

Thomas has lived up to his highly-touted billing. Pro Football Focus has him graded as the 14th best rookie so far, with an above-average 71.6 player grade on the season.

"Becoming one of quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets in his rookie year, Thomas ranks second on the Jaguars with 26 targets through four weeks," PFF's Gordon McGuinness wrote. "His 2.35 yards per route run is almost a full yard above Christian Kirk, who ranks second on the team at 1.36."

For Thomas' Week 4 performance, a six catch, 86-yard showing against a very good Houston Texans defense, Thomas earned an elite 81.1 grade on 44 snaps.

"Thomas was outstanding this past week in Jacksonville’s defeat to the Texans," Dalton Wasserman wrote. "He paced the Jaguars with 86 receiving yards and an 81.7 PFF receiving grade. Five of his six receptions went for either a first down or a touchdown. Thomas continues to prove himself as the team's most reliable weapon."

Head coach Doug Pederson discussed Thomas' development on Monday.

"We challenge him as a staff, we challenge him more and more on his plate," Pederson said. "I think we're seeing, you're seeing, obviously, the type of receiver that he is and why we drafted him. He's, gosh, he's such a competitor. I love that about him -- the way he competes out there and he plays hard, he plays fast, he'll go in there and block a safety if he has to. Nice job on the around yesterday. So, he's very capable and we're going to continue to keep throwing the ball this way.”

Our Jaguars on SI beat writer John Shipley requested 15 minutes to sit down and discuss with general manager Trent Baalke the future of the franchise.

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