EXCLUSIVE: Jaguars Legend Jimmy Smith Ecstatic About Brian Thomas' Stardom

When it comes to the question of who is the best wide receiver in the history of the Jacksonville Jaguars, there has never been any debate.

Jimmy Smith shattered every key Jaguars franchise receiving record during his illustrious 11-year career with the franchise. Since then, he has been immortalized in the franchise's history with his name being placed on the stadium nearly a decade ago as a member of the Pride of the Jaguars, the team's Hall of Fame.

But that doesn't mean the Jaguars ever stopped trying to find the next Jimmy Smith -- the next star receiver who could one day challenge Smith's records.

The Jaguars have spent multiple high picks on wide receiver over the last two decades, with names like Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, Justin Blackmon, Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson, DJ Chark and Laviska Shenault all drafted in the first two rounds. Of that group, only Lee signed a second deal with the Jaguars.

All players the Jaguars hoped would succeed in the elusive goal of chasing Jimmy Smith. None were able to become the titanic force he became for the franchise, even though he always worked hard to make sure they had the chance to.

"When they drafted guys in, I would see other receivers kind of shun them off and not trying to, you know, show them the ropes. Every guy that they drafted, whether it was Ernest Wilford, Matt Jones, Reggie Williams, all those high round guys that they would come in, I would take those guys under my wing because I knew they weren't gonna be able to take my job," Smith told Jaguars On SI in an exclusive interview.

"So I would teach them everything I know, and it's up to them, you know, if they're able to do it or not. And see that helped push me, because I'm teaching them everything I know, then that means I got to be that much better if I'm teaching them everything that I know."

Now, though, it appears Smith finally has a worthy competitor for his illustrious career marks: Brian Thomas Jr.

Thomas is only one year into his NFL career, but the 2024 first-round pick and LSU Tigers product was the best rookie receiver in franchise history thanks to an elite rookie season.

It is because of that season that Thomas seems like the first player who has a realistic chance to catch the best wide receiver in franchise history.

"Well, I think he's much farther ahead of where I was at this point in time in his career, I hadn't hit the field my first two years in the league, and there he is a pro bowler in his first year, and going into his sophomore year, chances are he'll probably be a Pro Bowler again," Smith said.

"And I'm extremely excited that he's playing with my Jaguars. You know, watching Brian Thomas, Trevor [Lawrence] and now Travis [Hunter], but especially Brian Thomas last year, [he] kept my eyes glued to the TV when they weren't doing so well and I'm sure it'll be a bunch of the same. I'm turning on TV to look for Brian Thomas and see what he's going to do."

Smith knows what an elite wide receiver looks like. He also knows that Thomas is just getting started in his career, and there is a good chance his 2024 numbers will look pedistrian compared to what he does over the next few years.

"Yeah, he's on a good road, he's on the right track, and Jesus ... he's got a very high ceiling," Smith said, trying to put together a way to describe a player who words hardly do justice for.

"I guess I should put it that way, because we don't we don't know how good he can be. I think he was just scratching the surface last year and just kind of feeling his way and getting his feet wet during his rookie year. And I look forward to seeing him as the game slows down for him, because the older he gets, the slower the game will get. And once that game slows down, and he can see the holes in the defense a lot more crisper and clearer, he's going to be a sight to see."

A sight to see indeed. Thomas is already considered a top-10 wide receiver in the NFL in most evaluations, and there is an argument to make he is the Jaguars' best player after just 17 games of his career so far.

In a lot of ways, Smith is reminded of what he brought to the Jaguars' offense when it comes to Thomas and what he thinks he can do for the unit moving forward.

"The ability to come off the ball and get downfield and put pressure on the secondary, I think, is one of his greatest attributes, and we also call it taking the top off the defense. If he can put pressure on the safeties in that defense, then it opens up a lot of things underneath in the offense, and the offense should be able to go," he said.

"It's kind of like, what we what me and Fred [Taylor] and Mark [Brunell] and Keenan [McCardell] were able to do back in the day. I was the guy to put pressure on his safeties, which caused a lot of cover two for our running game. And with two safeties high, they would have to play high on Keenan, and then it would leave, you know, they couldn't stack the box with our running game. So having a guy that can take the top off the defense is probably the biggest threat on offense, and I look forward to seeing Brian Thomas do that this year."

Perhaps the most impressive thing Thomas did as a rookie was his ability to produce no matter who was at quarterback. Whether it was Trevor Lawrence or the lesser-talented journeyman backup Mac Jones, Thomas was a problem for defenses.

And to Smith, that only means one thing.

"He's coming into his own. Because my whole career I played, even though most of it was with Mark, I had a plethora of quarterbacks that I played with and I had to keep up that same amount of production. So, you know, he's one of those real go-to receivers," he said.

Only time will tell what Thomas is able to do over the course of his career. If the Jaguars are lucky, he will spend over a decade with the franchise just like Smith did.

But it is clear that Thomas is chasing Smith, and he has a supporter in his efforts to do so.

"It means a lot to me because I put in a lot of sweat equity to get that paid homage from from your peers, and I appreciate Brian Thomas for acknowledging the numbers, and let that be a goal for his," Smith said.

"And what I want him to know is, shoot. I'm here to help you break it. I won't be happy that you broke it, but I'm here to help you to break it, and that's the kind of player that I've always been."