Jarvis Landry Raves About Jaguars' Brian Thomas After First Practice: 'He's Elite'

The Jaguars' first round pick got a lot of praise from his fellow former LSU star.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas (7) warms up at the start of Friday's rookie / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY

It didn't take long for Jacksonville Jaguars' first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. to make an impression on a fellow former LSU star.

Jarvis Landry was drafted out of LSU a decade before Thomas became the No. 23 pick, making Friday's rookie minicamp a full-circle moment. Landry, 31, and Thomas, 21, shared the field for the first time in the quick hour practice. And in his first moments seeing the younger Tiger and hopeful Jaguars cornerstone, Landry came away impressed.

"Elite. Elite. Elite," Landry said after the practice when asked about his impression of Thomas.

"So just watching him watching him out here and, you know, seeing it firsthand in person. I've seen him on TV a couple of times, you know, but seeing it firsthand. He's elite."

Thomas is the biggest investment the Jaguars have made in a wide receiver since 2012. In the 13 drafts between 2012 and 2024, only Thomas and Justin Blackmon have been first-round receivers selected by Jacksonville. And with his 4.34 speed and 17 touchdowns for the Tigers in 2023, Thomas brings worlds of potential.

"Yeah, BT's got, I mean, really good length, obviously, elite speed. He's a matchup problem, and he can go up and get the ball," said Jaguars linebackers coach Matt House, who coached LSU's defense the last two years and saw Thomas in practice each and every day. "So, you know, in particular, last year at LSU, we were DB short, he was a tough, tough matchup."

It remains to be seen if Thomas and Landry will share a roster for long. Landry is with the Jaguars on a try out basis, though the possibility remains that he could be signed to the team's 90-man roster.

Regardless of how many practice fields Landry and Thomas share, though, the Jaguars' top rookie can rest assured he has a mentor and someone to look up to during his rookie campaign.

"Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. Whether I'm here or not here ... whatever it is, you know, he has my number. And I'm like that with all the guys," Landry said when asked if he would be open to being in a mentor-type role with Thomas.

"Really it's part of the culture. You know, it's how you keep your culture clean and good. And that's what I'm going to do."