The Jacksonville Jaguars would surely like to forget the 2024 season after going 4-13. That said, they had a few bright spots, and none arguably shone brighter than Brian Thomas Jr., who established himself as one of the top receivers in the NFL. Not surprisingly, he landed on an illustrious list after his impressive rookie campaign.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports drew up a list of the top 100 NFL players for 2025 and placed Thomas at No. 44, pointing out that the former first-round pick thrived despite the fact that he was playing on a bad offense.
"With all the Travis Hunter talk, people forget how dominant Thomas Jr. was as a rookie for a bad offense in 2024," Prisco wrote. "With Hunter on the opposite side and Trevor Lawrence healthy, he can be even better."
It's important to point out that Thomas was the only Jaguar who appeared on the list, but it's easy to see why he made the cut. The fourth receiver taken in last year's draft, he was the best of the bunch, registering 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns on 82 catches.
Thomas' performance looks even better when you take into account that he caught passes from Mac Jones for nearly half he season and the Jaguars' offensive scheme was unimaginative. On top of that, opposing defenses routinely doubled him because he was Jacksonville's only playmaker.
Brian Thomas Jr. can be as good as Justin Jefferson or Ja'Marr Chase
With Travis Hunter and Dyami Brown in the fold, Thomas should find more favorable chances in 2025. Couple that with the return of a healthy Trevor Lawrence behind center, and the sophomore wideout could be even better in 2025. In fact, Pete Prisco says that the best is yet to come.
When discussing the reasoning behind his list, Prisco said on CBS Sports HQ Spotlight that Thomas will join Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson in the top echelon of wide receivers.
"You know where Brian Thomas is going to be on this list next year, pushing Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson for being one of the best in the league," Prisco said.
Colleague Hailey Sutton then chimed in and pointed out that all eyes were on Travis Hunter during the Jaguars offseason program, but Thomas remains WR1 in Jacksonville.
"Brian Thomas Jr. is the No. 1 wide receiver, and by this time next year, we're going to be talking about Brian Thomas Jr, in the same class as Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson."
Now, that's a lofty comparison, but it's most definitely deserving. After all, Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson are two of the best five receivers in the NFL. Thomas showed in 2024 that he can be as productive as them. He just needs to avoid a sophomore slump and build consistency, but he can most definitely pull it off.
The bottom line is that it's hard to get hyped up about Brian Thomas Jr., and it's no hyperbole to say that his jaw-dropping rookie campaign is the sign of greater things to come.
Here are other Jaguars stories you may also like: