JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Brian Thomas Jr. just fit.
It’s as simple as that.
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The LSU receiver and 23rd overall pick by the Jaguars in the NFL draft arrived in town on Friday morning and took it all in. Thomas expected to be a first-round pick, but actually experiencing it was something else.
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“As the time goes by, it’s sinking in more and more,” Thomas said.
His arrival in Jacksonville was widely praised as a good fit in the offense. He’s long and fast and was productive at the highest level of college football. Thomas led the country with 17 touchdown catches from Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels. The non-football stuff is a great fit, too.
So, how does Thomas fit with the Jaguars? Perfectly, said general manager Trent Baalke.
“He’s an ideal fit for what the coaching staff is looking for, for what we feel we need to expand offensively,” Baalke said. “All of it, and a culture fit. Like we talk about, bringing in the type of guys that fit into this locker room, fit into this community and he checked all of the boxes that way.”
Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson have made sure that players align with their principles long before they get to the talent part. The Jaguars have had numerous examples of those players not working out with the franchise previously, so making sure potential draft picks are a good locker room presence is, many times, at the top of the list.
Talent is next and Thomas is loaded with it. He was the consensus No. 4 receiver in this draft class, behind Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU teammate Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze. Those three players went in the top nine. Jacksonville didn’t pull the trigger on a move up, staying at No. 17 and then moving backwards with the expectation that Thomas would still be there. Pederson said that Thomas has speed (4.33 in the 40-yard dash) that you can’t teach and the Jaguars will use that to stretch defenses.
“I think the number one thing you see is the speed on film,” Pederson said. “You see the ability to get behind secondary and the second and third level defenders. That’s big in our league.”
So, where does Thomas fit into the Jacksonville offense this year? It’s not inconceivable that he could have a role as high as the No. 3 receiver as a rookie.
“My expectations are to just come in, earn the trust of the quarterback, earn the trust of my teammates and coaching staff. To know when an opportunity presents itself, I’m going to go out there, give my all, go out there and make the play,” he said. “I would say that’s my expectations coming in.”
Gabe Davis, Zay Jones and Christian Kirk occupy those top three spots now, with Davis and Jones on the outside and Kirk able to play on the outside or lining up inside. Thomas’ size (6-3, 210) is something very attractive to the Jacksonville offense. He’s the big bodied receiver that the team desperately lacked, especially after Kirk’s late season injury. Davis, Jones and Kirk, like tight end Evan Engram, all arrived in Jacksonville through free agency so adding a blue chip wideout on a cost-controlled contract was a necessity. It gives quarterback Trevor Lawrence a building block for the future and a player he can grow with.
LSU’s NFL history at receiver is deep. Stars Justin Jefferson, Odell Beckham Jr. and Ja’Marr Chase are among the former Tigers who have made it big in the league. The Jaguars had success with another former LSU star, DJ Chark, a second-round pick in 2018. Chark had a forgettable rookie season in Jacksonville, but rebounded with the only 1,000-yard season of his career in 2019.
Thomas said what former LSU players have done in the NFL isn’t something he’s focused on.
“I’m just trying to be myself, I don’t feel like I have to live up to any expectations,” he said. “I’m just going to come out there, work hard, do what I can do to the best of my ability.”