After a stellar rookie campaign, Brian Thomas Jr. was expected to join the top echelon of NFL wide receivers in Year 2. However, the 2024 first-round pick has struggled to hit his stride this season. While he's performed well at times, his play has actively hurt the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Just recently, a local voice took a look at the Jags' biggest issues heading into the BYE, and picked Thomas' underwhelming production as the biggest one.
Brian Thomas Jr. has been underwhelming for the Jaguars thus far
Hays Carlyon of 1010 XL argues that Brian Thomas Jr. is the Jaguars' biggest issue right now, noting that he's a shadow of the receiver he was last year.
"So they've got a lot of things that we're going to address. But for me, the No. 1 thing is what has happened to Brian Thomas Jr? I mean, this goes beyond a sophomore slump. He is terrible," Carlyon said on Duval Rundown. "I mean, he's one of the least efficient receivers in the NFL. The drops have just been a constant problem. The timid play has just been a constant problem. He doesn't win 50/50, balls at all. There's not a lot of play strength in his game."
Carlyon continued, "And for a guy that they were sort of counting on. When they took Travis Hunter, they were thinking, well, we have a No. 1 receiver. So if we can add Travis Hunter and have almost a one A and 1b, then we'll really have something. Brian Thomas, Jr., hasn't played like a No. 3 receiver. I mean, it's been incredible; it's hard to pinpoint exactly what the issue is. He doesn't have chemistry with Trevor Lawrence. That's number one. It seems like there just isn't much of a trust that Lawrence is going to give him a ball that he likes."
"To me, He looks like his play, he looks frail, compared to last year, like it looks like he's just not playing with any kind of physicality at all. And, he just can't count on him. I mean, they've been better off if he'd been inactive for seven weeks, in my opinion. I mean, he's killed them, and I don't know that there's a whole lot else that they can do, you know? I don't know what you can do. I mean, it's, it's sort of on Brian to snap out of it, and for it to matter to him and play with some pride, because right now he's letting everybody down with how he's playing. I mean, there's just no other way to say it."
Thomas racked up 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns in 2024. He finished fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting and was a Pro Bowl alternate. However, he's caught a measly 27 receptions for 365 yards with one touchdown in seven games this season. Compounding the issue is that he has six drops, and most of them were due to a lack of effort.
The Jaguars must do something about Brian Thomas Jr.
Maybe Brian Thomas Jr. will turn things around later this year. He'll certainly have a chance to work on whatever is holding him back during the BYE Week. The Jaguars, for their part, must work with him and help him however they can. That said, they can no longer wait for him to put it all together.
Travis Hunter showed with a breakout performance in Week 7 that he deserves a bigger role at receiver. The Jags most definitely need to give him the ball more often, and if that comes at the expense of Thomas' targets, so be it.
Simply, Thomas hasn't done enough this offseason to warrant a WR1 role, so might as well give it to someone who'll take advantage of the opportunity.
Ultimately, there's only so much the Jaguars can do to put Thomas in a position to succeed. Whether it's the mental part, fundamentals, or injuries, it's up to him to bounce back and show that he's still the player who took the league by storm as a rookie.