Despite the fact that he was just a rookie in 2024, Brian Thomas Jr. established himself as one of the top receivers in the NFL. Not surprisingly, he's been showered with praise the past few months. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars knew that they were going to need more weapons aside from him if they wanted to put Trevor Lawrence in a position to succeed next season. That's why they made the bold move for Travis Hunter in this year's draft.
According to an NFL writer, Thomas and Hunter give the Jags a budding receiving duo that could rival one of the best in the NFL.
Trevor Sikkema ranked all 32 wide receiver corps in the NFL and placed Jacksonville's at No. 16, pointing out that the spot may be a bit high, but both Thomas and Hunter come with intriguing upside.
"This might seem high for Jacksonville, but it's a bet on Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter in a similar way to how one could view the Bengals with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins," Sikkema wrote.
Sikkema continued, "Thomas' 83.4 PFF receiving grade as a rookie was a top-20 mark in the NFL, and his 1,282 receiving yards were the third most, behind only Justin Jefferson and Chase. Hunter likely won't rack up as much yardage, but he could very well become an elite receiver for Trevor Lawrence after posting 85.9, 79.0, and 89.0 FF receiving grades in his three collegiate seasons."
On the other hand, Sikkema argues that Jacksonville doesn't have much depth behind Hunter and Thomas. However, he believes running back Travis Etienne could be a solid No. 3 option in the passing game, noting that he was a fine receiver out of the backfield at Clemson.
For context, Etienne hauled in a combined 102 receptions for 2,115 receiving yards with eight touchdowns on the Tigers' offense. Back in 2023, he showed that he's a legitimate receiving option in Jacksonville, catching 58 receptions for 476 yards with one touchdown.
Getting compared to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins is the highest compliment a receiving duo can get. The pair got the No. 3 spot in PFF's ranking, behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith (Philadelphia Eagles) and Chris Godwin and Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter will give the Jaguars their own Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase
It's great to see Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter get recognition ahead of the 2025 season. The former hauled in 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns in 2024 and should be even better next season now that the latter will draw coverage away from him. Couple that with the fact that Trevor Lawrence will be behind center, and the Jacksonville Jaguars could legitimately field one of the top receiving duos in the NFL next year.
Having said that, Trevor Sikkema's claim that the Jaguars lack depth at receiver is not entirely accurate. Although free-agent acquisition Dyami Brown put it all together until 2024, he played a pivotal role in the Washington Commanders' playoff run. Although the decision raised eyebrows, his strong finish to 2024 has carried over into the Jaguars' offseason program.
Heck, nobody should bat an eye if Brown is WR2 opposite Thomas come Week 1. But aside from him, Jacksonville has the reliable Parker Washington in the fold. The former Penn State Nittany Lion proved to be a capable replacement in the slot when Christian Kirk went down last year, reeling in 32 receptions for 390 yards with three touchdowns.
There's also Trenton Irwin, who proved that he could be counted on when the injury bug hit the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022 and 2023. In that span, he started seven games and caught 40 receptions for 547 yards with five touchdowns.
The bottom line is that wide receiver is poised to be a strength for the Jaguars in 2025. Sure, Travis Hunter and Brian Thomas Jr. will get most of the attention, but there won't be a shortage of talent across the depth chart.
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