Most Important Chemistry Project for Trevor Lawrence Is This WR

Trevor Lawrence will see more new pass-catchers at training camp this year than any season since 2022. And that’s why building chemistry with receivers is much more than a simple cliché in Jacksonville this week. Among all the new faces in the Jaguars’ offensive meeting room, one receiver stands out, and it’s not Brian Thomas or Travis Hunter.

It’s Dyami Brown.

The oldest wide receiver in that trio is also the most important for Lawrence. Developing chemistry with Brown is critical because Thomas won’t be open on every snap and Hunter – while Lawrence and the rest of the offense are catching their breath -- won’t always be available after long drives on defense. Lawrence said he’s been especially impressed with Brown’s speed and intelligence.

“Obviously, he is a threat down the field,” Lawrence told reporters last month, “which is important as a receiver who can stretch the field. But also, he's a really smart football player. He's picked up the system really quickly. He's always in the right spot. I think that's something about him, I don’t know if you guys watched plenty of practices, he's gotten the ball a lot because it seems like he's always in the right spot.

“He always has a feel for the zone, like where to sit, where to throttle, kind of those voids. I just think he's really smart and I'm really excited about adding him to the offense, to the weapons that we already have. It's exciting.”

That’s good because Brown’s NFL statistics have been far short of exciting. A third-round selection (82nd overall) in the 2021 draft, Brown entered the league just 24 hours after Lawrence was the No. 1 choice. But over four years with Washington, Brown managed only 59 receptions for 784 yards and four touchdowns.

But Jacksonville targeted Brown in free agency and new head coach Liam Coen sold the veteran on the offensive vision, along with Lawrence.

“You look at somebody that’s able to attack the field at all three levels,” Coen said in June. “He can go down the field on the post, in the go, in the pylons and be the top shelf, but also you can throw him a screen and he can go and do something with it. I can’t coach that.

“I can’t coach you to go and make three people miss after you’ve caught the ball. We can try. I’ll teach an obstacle course, some open-field running, sideline stiff-arm, but at the end of the day, we’re getting the play so you can go be you with the ball in your hands.”

Brown has experience developing chemistry with quarterbacks under new offensive coordinators. Last year, he immediately developed a great connection with rookie Jayden Daniels and, thanks in part to Kliff Kingsbury’s Commanders playbook, helped Washington advance to the NFC Championship Game. Brown posted single-season career bests in receptions (30) and yards (308).

“He’s hungry,” Coen said. “He’s coming off a successful end of the year. He wants to continue to do that, and that’s what’s been fun about having those conversations with him.”

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