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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) use tennis balls in a drill during an NFL training camp fourth session at the Miller Electric Center, Sunday, July 27, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Brian Thomas Jr. Accepts New Role with the Jaguars

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to improve in any way they can in the 2025 NFL season. Last year, they went just 4-13 in quarterback Trevor Lawrence's fourth season under center, taking a sizable step back from their 9-8 finishes in the previous two campaigns. With new head coach Liam Coen taking over on the sidelines, the Jags will be hoping to right the ship and get the team's development back on track.

One player who may find it difficult to improve on their 2024 campaign is second-year wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. This will be through no fault of his own, though. Rather, it's a testament to how impressive his rookie season was. After getting drafted 23rd overall, he smashed all expectations by putting up 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns.

That's not going to stop him from trying to be even better. With the Jaguars taking Travis Hunter Jr. with the second-overall pick to play opposite him, BTJ could find more cracks in opposing secondaries with another elite threat on the field with him. On the other hand, he might not get as many targets now with a more complete offensive unit in Jacksonville. However, that doesn't mean he can't find other ways to help push the team forward.

Brian Thomas Jr. has become a veteran in just his second season with the Jacksonville Jaguars

Despite just going into his second season in the NFL, Brian Thomas Jr. finds himself in an unlikely role for a second-year player: veteran mentor. The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot more talent on the roster for 2025, but they're also set to be one of the youngest teams in the league.

The wide receiver room is especially green. The most tenured Jaguars wideout is Parker Washington, who's going into just his third season with the team. Dyami Brown, Austin Trammell, and Trenton Irwin bring multiple years of NFL experience, but none are established players in the league, and the last two are fighting for roster spots with undrafted rookies.

That leaves Brian Thomas Jr. as the most accomplished wide receiver on the roster. He recognizes the importance of his stepping up as a veteran leader for the young players, as he told The Pivot Podcast:

"It just feels like it all went by so fast for me. I feel like with [Gabe Davis and Christian Kirk] getting hurt, I wasn’t able to have a full season with real, true vets. But I mean, just learning all the little things that they taught me the first couple weeks that we were together — it played a big role for me just going throughout the season.

Having Travis [Hunter Jr.] come in, I’ve been trying to help him with like certain routes and stuff, just talking through schemes, why we’re doing certain things versus certain coverages, why we like those things... That was my biggest thing coming into Year 2, just wanting to take more of a leadership role because we don’t have like true, true vets besides Dyami [Brown] in our room. Coming in, I just wanted to be more of a leader, take on more of a leadership role for the young guys.”

BTJ may not have a better statistical season this year than he did in 2024, but he and the Jaguars could find more team success overall, especially if he can help guide Travis Hunter Jr. to his own rousing rookie campaign.

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This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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