Since the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted superstar quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, this team has failed to bring in a talented wide receiver who is worthy to be his target man. Obviously, Christian Kirk is an excellent slot receiver but Lawrence needs a player who can make his life easier in the red zone. It seems like it is finally time for this franchise to address its biggest problem.
Jacksonville Jaguars Make Huge News By Drafting Elite LSU Target Man
With the Jacksonville Jaguars 23rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Jaguars have selected LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. Thomas was an outstanding wide receiver over the past three seasons for the Tigers and managed to accumulate 68 receptions for 1,177 receiving yards last season including 17 touchdowns. Even though he enjoyed the benefit of outstanding quarterback Jayden Daniels, the raw talent that Thomas showed last season looks like he can make an immediate impact at the NFL level.
Thomas has outstanding athletic gifts even at 6’4″ and 205 pounds. He has proven that he has the strength and athleticism to go up and win the ball over cornerbacks. Thomas is just what every quarterback in the NFL wants: a huge target who could reach out and collect errant throws and bail their quarterback out of some trouble. Even with his raw talent, Thomas has been known to be the culprit of some focus drops and could improve on his route running skills.
Highlights of Thomas during his time at Louisiana State University are shown below and he will make life much easier for Lawrence next season. The giant target man is going to be an outstanding target for Lawrence in the red zone and he can finally take advantage of the weak secondaries that exist in the AFC South.
While Jacksonville has appeared to be a solid team over the past few years, they have struggled to make that final leap into becoming an AFC powerhouse. Teams like Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Baltimore have managed to find talent around their elite quarterbacks but the best receiver for Lawrence last season was Travis Etienne. Lawrence has proven that he has the raw talent to make the lead but he has yet to put forth an MVP-caliber season like the other players on this list. Next season, with Thomas as his number-one receiver, Jacksonville might finally be ready to stake their claim in the conference.
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