With all the attention Travis Hunter is (rightly) getting, it's easy to forget that the Jacksonville Jaguars already have a bona fide No. 1 in Brian Thomas Jr. The fact that he keeps a low profile and lets his play on the football do the talking accentuates this. But on the last Day of Organized Team Activities, the 2024 first-round pick reminded everyone just how much of a game-changer he is.
Thomas had a pretty strong outing on the last day of Jaguars OTAs, catching a touchdown with Montaric Brown in coverage. Earlier in practice, he had another touchdown reception against no coverage, where he showed his ability to stay in bounds. Here's the clip, via Gus Loge of SB Nation.
Thomas should have no trouble building off his impressive rookie campaign. Even though he was the fourth receiver off the board in last year's draft, he ended up being the most productive one, hauling in 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns. The fact that he caught passes from Mac Jones for nearly half the season and played on an unimaginative offense makes his statline even more impressive.
The Jaguars are looking to maximize Brian Thomas Jr.'s talent in 2025
With Travis Hunter in the mix, Brian Thomas Jr. should see fewer double teams next season. Liam Coen told the local media on Day 10 of OTAs that the former will most definitely affect how opposing teams defend the Jaguars.
"I think I saw so much of it," Coen responded how Hunter's arrival will affect the coverage Thomas will see. "Obviously a different entity with Cooper cup in LA where you're getting a lot of double coverage, whether it more so be from the slot, where maybe they have a nickel playing outside leverage, and then a safety or a linebacker inside of them to double, and then go to Tampa with Mike Evans, and he's more of that outside receiver that's getting the corner and the safety double.
Coen continued, "So it's really just about creating balance, and okay, if we put them on the same side, well, can we dictate maybe where the double may go and help maybe get one-on-one coverage elsewhere? So as we go and see maybe how people defend us that way with Brian, it'll help kind of dictate whether we want to get the one on one matchup in the end, on the inside or on the outside, at the running back position, at the tight end position, so it kind of helps dictate terms, even though it can be annoying at times to get double teams."
Sure, Hunter will take some of Thomas' targets away, but defenses will no longer be able to double-team the sophomore receiver. Similarly, tight end Brenton Strange should see more favorable opportunities on underneath routes.
The bottom line is that Liam Coen is fully aware of how talented Brian Thomas is. That's why it isn't surprising to learn that he'll be looking to maximize his talent in his system and help him take his game to the next level next season.
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