How Jaguars rookie Brian Thomas Jr. has become a dangerous WR1 so quickly
Editor's note: This is the seventh installment of a season-long series on a breakout star from the past week of NFL action. The Week 7 winner: Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
Tank Bigsby's face lit up.
After the Jaguars' 37-34 victory over the Colts earlier this month, Jacksonville's first win of the season, a reporter asked the second-year running back about teammate Brian Thomas Jr. That's when Bigsby flashed a smile. He marveled at how the rookie wide receiver looked like "lightning" on the field.
The No. 23 overall pick, Thomas reached a maximum speed of 22.15 mph on his 85-yard catch and run touchdown in the game, the fastest speed by a ball carrier this season, and the fastest play by a Jaguars ball carrier since at least 2016, according to Next Gen Stats.
"I pulled him to the sideline and said, ‘Boy, you were running like a deer,'" Bigsby said.
And he's continued to as the season has worn on.
Thomas caught all five of his targets for 89 yards and a touchdown, plus a successful two-point conversion, in the Jaguars' 32-16 rout of the New England Patriots in London on Sunday. His speed was evident on his 58-yard reception that set up a touchdown in the second quarter, when Jacksonville erupted for 22 points, the fourth-most points the franchise has ever scored in the period.
Establishing himself as the Jaguars' WR1, the former LSU star has at least five catches and 80 receiving yards in three of his past four games. His numbers rank among the league's best receivers regardless of experience. Through Week 7, he ranks sixth in the league in receiving yards (513), eighth in yards per reception (17.1), touchdown receptions (4) and receiving yards per game (73.3), and 11th in yards per target (11.4).
Among the 39 wide receivers with at least 37 targets, he's also ninth in NFL passer rating when targeted (116.2), according to Pro Football Focus.
"I think each week he keeps getting better and better," coach Doug Pederson said Sunday. "We have to continue to find ways to scheme him open."
In a 2024 wide receiver class headlined by Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze, Thomas slid a bit under the radar — despite leading the FBS last season with 17 touchdown receptions. But he's arguably been the best of them, ranking first or second in most receiving categories among rookie wide receivers.
Thomas has been as advertised as a deep threat. His 85-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the Colts game was the second-longest reception in the NFL this season.
"Obviously, you see a few around the league that are fast and can break away," quarterback Trevor Lawrence said earlier this month. "If they get in the open field, there's nobody that's going to catch them on the other side of the ball. He's definitely one of those guys. So the more we can find opportunities to get him the ball in those situations, we're going to score a lot of points with him."
Why Thomas was successful in Week 7
His speed, first and foremost.
Thomas' 58-yard reception came off a skinny post route down the numbers on the right side of the field. Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez didn't stand a chance with no help over the top.
Thomas' maximum route speed of 21.42 mph is the fifth-highest in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats. He has run 25 routes at 18-plus miles per hour, sixth-most in the league, and six routes at 20-plus mph, tied for fourth-most.
"They were playing quarters, and the safeties were playing kind of low," Thomas said of the play. "So I knew that if I was able to get by my man and run out on my break, I would be open."
Three of Thomas' five receptions Sunday came out of bunch formations, which can make his speed even more difficult to cover. Not only do they make it hard for defenses to press, but they also offer route flexibility for receivers, create quick separation for them and mismatches in the offense's favor.
Defenses can get burned on bunch formations due to poor communication, which is what happened to the Patriots against the Jaguars. In the second quarter, Thomas went unaccounted for running a shallow cross in the red zone, leading to his six-yard touchdown.
In the third quarter, Lawrence also audibled into a screen pass for Thomas on a third-and-4 out of bunch formation, which resulted in a conversion. The rookie had veterans Christian Kirk and Evan Engram as lead blockers, giving him enough space to pick up the first down with his speed.
That was part of a possession where Jacksonville gave the first-round pick four touches in a five-play span.
"It's fun to play with him," Lawrence said.
"We got to keep using him."
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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