How Jaguars' Star WR Duo Benefits Malik Nabers

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. should be a fixture on Pro Bowl and All-Pro lists moving forward in his career.

Should be, that is, because he is one of the top talents at the wide receiver position in the NFL. But only should be, and not positively will be, for a few factors.

One is the unfair but still prevalent Jaguars tax factor, which sees even the Jaguars' brightest stars get dinged in terms of national recognition both due to the Jaguars' market, relatively short team history, and lack of consistent on-field success.

Another factor seems to have arisen, however -- the addition of new star rookie Travis Hunter, who the Jaguars traded up to the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to select.

Hunter's addition to the offense and his role in the passing game seem to be direct reasons why CBS Sports passed over Thomas in favor of LSU Tigers teammate Malik Nabers on a list projecting future All-Pros.

"There are multiple candidates for this title, including Travis Hunter of the Jaguars. His teammate, Brian Thomas Jr., would be a good candidate because of the quarterback situation, as Trevor Lawrence may more reliably dispatch the football than those throwing to other candidates. However, those two players may eat into each other's target shares, whereas Malik Nabers should once again shoulder the load for the Giants," CBS Sports said.

"Despite an unstable quarterback situation in the Big Apple and an injury, the rookie out of LSU finished with the second-most targets (170) and seventh-most receiving yards (1,204) last season. With another year to see his brand grow and hopefully better overall team performance, Nabers has a chance to be individually recognized."

Thomas and Nabers are going to be directly compared and tied to one another throughout their NFL careers considering their shared history during their college days. And when it comes to the question of who is the next superstar at the receiver position, the answer will once again come down to the LSU duo.

On the other hand, the two best receivers in the NFL have strong running mates in Tee Higgins and Jordan Addison. After all, who says Thomas and Hunter can't both eat?