Two-way star Travis Hunter has been the talk of the town since the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him second overall in this year's NFL Draft, and rightly so. After all, the 2024 Heisman Trophy will give their wide receiver corps a much-needed boost. That said, he's far from the only weapon Trevor Lawrence will have at his disposal. In fact, he probably isn't the best of the bunch. That title would go to Brian Thomas Jr., who's coming off an impressive rookie season.
With Lawrence back in the fold, Thomas could post even better numbers in 2025, and their connection will be one to keep an eye on throughout the year. Just recently, Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus dubbed it one of the best in the NFL.
Sikkema drew up a list of the top 30 NFL duos in the NFL and placed the Lawrence-Thomas connection at No. 15, pointing out that the former LSU Tiger will be more productive with No. 16 behind center next season.
"Lawrence recorded just an 80.9 PFF passing grade when targeting Thomas last season, but we expect even bigger things from them in 2025," Sikkema wrote. "Their completion percentage together was a low 63.8%, but that's because Thomas was the Jaguras' big-play guy with a 13.8 average depth of target. That number should come down this upcoming season, and it will be for the better with more volume, more big-time throws and fewer turnover-worthy plays."
While Thomas was targeted deep a few times early in 2024, it wasn't until Lawrence got hurt and Mac Jones replaced him that he saw an uptick in targets and hit his stride.
The first time Thomas saw double-digit targets was in Week 12, the game Lawrence left with a concussion. Sure, plenty of targets went to tight end Evan Engram and wide receiver Christian Kirk, but the coaching staff didn't seem to know how to best use the rookie wideout.
Surprisingly, Thomas managed to finish with 82 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns despite the fact that opposing defenses often double-teamed him, and Jones was a downgrade at quarterback.
Brian Thomas Jr. will help Trevor lawrence significantly in 2025
After dealing with injuries the past two years, Trevor Lawrence is entering a pivotal season. Aside from proving that he can stay healthy, he must show he's the quarterback who played at a high level in 2022 and is deserving of the top-market extension he got last offseason. Working in his favor is that the team's brass gave him what's arguably the best supporting cast he's had in his career, highlighted by Brian Thomas Jr.
As a rookie, Thomas proved that he can be a bona fide No. 1 receiver. But now, teams have tape of him and will know how to defend him better. But like Lawrence, he'll also get help. Travis Hunter and Dyami Brown should draw coverage away, which will leave Thomas with more favorable matchups.
On top of that, Liam Coen will find creative ways to use Thomas' game-changing skills, so even if Brown and Hunter take away some of his targets, he'll still put together a pretty good statline. But if that wasn't enough, the Jaguars are putting a renewed emphasis on pounding the football. If they succeed, opposing teams won't be able to drop extra players in coverage.
The bottom line is that Trevor Lawrence must deliver in 2025, but he'll get ample help, especially from Brian Thomas Jr., so he should have no trouble delivering.
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