Top 25 Jaguars Countdown: Brian Thomas Jr. Becomes First Rookie On Countdown

Brian Thomas Jr. becomes the first rookie to make the countdown.

Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. poses after being selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars as the No. 23 pick during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In a little over two months, the Jacksonville Jaguars will kick off the 2024 season in hopes of shedding away the nightmare that was 2023.

In the Jaguars' pursuit of an AFC South title and a spot in the playoffs, the Jaguars will need the core of their roster to help propel them past the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, and the rest of the opponents on their schedule.

But who are those players? Which players will be the ones who decide whether the Jaguars find their way back to playoffs?

We will attempt to answer that question in two series. One series will begin in July, while the other will continue until Week 1.

So ... who are the top 25 players on the Jaguars roster ahead of 2024? We break it down below.

No. 21: Brian Thomas Jr.

The first and only rookie on the countdown in its first year, Jaguars' first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. finds himself just outside the top 20 but with plenty of potential to fly up the ranks during his first season. The Jaguars targeted Thomas Jr. at No. 17 and were still able to take him at No. 23 after trading down six spots, resulting in some lucky fortune in their quest to rebuild the receiver room.

The only rookie on the Jaguars' roster who is currently a lock to start in Week 1, Thomas will find a role in the Jaguars' passing game alongside Gabe Davis, Christian Kirk and Evan Engram. Chances are Thomas will see fewer targets than at least Kirk and Engram, who are the two most-targeted players in the Jaguars' offense the last two years.

This leads to how much production Thomas can get alongside Davis, who is a ready-made veteran who has proven himself as a big-play threat at the NFL level. The Jaguars won't be afraid to let Thomas swim as a rookie, but it will be a waiting game to see how much of the passing game they put on his plate.

So far, the reviews on Thomas have been positive from the Jaguars' coaching staff. He has begun to build chemistry with Trevor Lawrence on the field while managing the influx of information off the field.

'I think he's just really diligent. One of the things, we're trying to get him to talk more, just ask more questions. He's not a big talker. So you're not always sure, you're searching for feedback. Are you picking up what we're saying? So far it's always translated over the field pretty good," Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said in June. So he's getting it in some, way, shape or form. We want more out of him communication wise just so we know what he's thinking. Does this make sense to you? How do you relate this? For the most part, he kind of nods and looks at you and goes out on the field and does it right. So that's encouraging. At least he's doing it right, not wrong.

"You're looking for that. He does a great job. However he's getting it, whether it's from the meeting room, extra studying at night, carrying it over the field, he's done a great job of that so far. We're trying to expose him to as much as possible so if he misses a signal or an alert, if there was something real subtle in a huddle it doesn't happen twice. With him, so far, he's not repeating any mistakes."

The fact that Thomas Jr. was one of the best deep threats in college football a year ago bodes well for his fit with the Jaguars in the long-term but in 2024 as well. Even if Thomas is fourth on the team in targets as a rookie, he could see enough vertical targets to give him a chance to make a sizable impact as a rookie.

"I mean, you'll see it, I mean, it's almost like, he's got like that little Mike Vick syndrome, where he's running, but he doesn't look like he's running fast. But he is moving," Jaguars wide receivers coach Chad Hall said in June.

"You know, so I just told him, you know, Trevor, a couple of the first practices, we had a couple go balls thrown and he either, you know, caught it back shoulder had to slow down a little bit. And I just told him, I go tell Trevor to try to throw you. See if we can do that. See if he can do that. But you see it in college, he chases everything down. He's fast."

Our top 25 list so far ...

No. 25: Logan Cooke

No. 24: Ezra Cleveland

No. 23: Roy Robertson-Harris

No. 22: Walker Little

No. 21: Brian Thomas Jr.

---

• Follow and like us on Facebook.
• Submit your questions for our mailbag.
• Subscribe to the Jaguars On SI Podcast on Apple and Spotify.
• Check out the Jaguars On SI YouTube Channel.