Brian Thomas Jr. admired former Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones when he was growing up, especially because they had similar body sizes. The Jacksonville Jaguars hope Thomas can reach Jones’ level of performance in the pros.
Jacksonville traded down six spots and picked the LSU standout with the 23rd overall selection in the NFL draft on Thursday night, continuing to build around their franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Adding the 6-foot-3, 209-pound fast player should help make up for the departure of Calvin Ridley to division rival Tennessee in free agency. It also gives the Jaguars a chance to have a true No. 1 receiver for the first time since Jimmy Smith retired after the 2005 season.
Thomas led the Bowl Subdivision with 17 receiving touchdowns last season. He had 68 catches for 1,177 yards, averaging 17.3 yards per catch and 34.9 yards on his 17 touchdowns.
“I believe my speed, my ability to get open, and create space on defenders are important,” Thomas said. “That’s a big part of what I bring to the team.”
Thomas joins a group of wide receivers that includes Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, and Zay Jones. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Thomas become Lawrence’s main target, maybe even in 2024.
“It’s a competitive group,” Thomas said. “I just want to work hard, learn from all those guys, and be the best I can be. I’ll put in the work and see where it takes me.”
Jacksonville signed Davis to a three-year, $39 million deal in free agency, with $24 million guaranteed. Kirk has a salary cap hit of $24.2 million.
Last year, Jacksonville struggled with depth at the wide receiver position. Kirk and Jones missed games, and none of their backups performed well when called upon.
