Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. had a sophomore slump last season, but is projected to have a strong bounce-back campaign.
This offseason, the connection between Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence and his pass catchers has been evident, with multiple analysts predicting big numbers from this offense.
Alongside Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr. is looking to return to his rookie-year form, and looks "better than ever," according to 92.5 FM Jaguars Host Rick Ballou.
On the final day of August, head coach Liam Coen joined the Rich Eisen Show on ESPN to talk about what Thomas brings to the passing attack.
"When he’s playing at a high level, our offense is just different," Coen said.
He went on to say that Thomas' ability to stretch the field vertically provides another element to the team's offensive attack, saying he forces defenses to send double teams and shade him over the top.
Throughout offseason workouts, the Jaguars' deep passing game has been a focus for not only the team, but also the media, with multiple highlights of long completions being shared.
Thomas has been the benefactor of many of these viral clips, looking much more in sync with Lawrence.
Coen noted that the pair is still learning to play with each other, with Lawrence missing time during Thomas' rookie-year explosion and Thomas dealing with lingering injuries last year.
Thomas dealt with shoulder, wrist and ankle injuries throughout last season, struggling with drops and getting off to a slow start.
But he didn't allow the injuries to be an excuse.
“The wrist is not an excuse,” Thomas told reporters. “I own the drops. I know I have to be better.”
Thomas fixed his drop problems as the year went on, closing out the season in promising fashion with a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card game, only his third of the season.
If he can return to his 2024 production, the Jaguars' passing attack will be very dangerous with the depth within the receiving room.
As a rookie, Thomas had 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, ranking first among rookie receivers in yards and TDs, beating out his LSU teammate and fellow first-round pick, Malik Nabers.
Thomas and Nabers formed one of the deadliest collegiate receiving duos of all time in college, combining for over 2,700 yards and 31 touchdowns during their junior seasons. Thomas led the country in touchdowns, with 17, while Nabers' SEC-leading 89 catches and 1,569 yards earned him All-American honors.
Thomas' ability as a deep threat is one of his best qualities, using his size and speed to find advantages down the field.
The deep passing game is something that Coen has talked about wanting to utilize more this upcoming season, and Thomas' "attack" mindset has him in position to be the main threat downfield.
Expect the team to take shots early and often against a middling Cleveland Browns team in Week 1.
