Will Jaguars Draft a Running Mate For Brian Thomas Jr?

The Jacksonville Jaguars already have one of the most valuable pieces in all of football.

One of the best things the previous Jaguars regime ever did was draft LSU's Brian Thomas Jr. at No. 23 in the 2024 NFL Draft. Thomas went on to give the Jaguars the best rookie receiver season in franchise history, earning a Pro Bowl nod and finishing the year with some of the best numbers of any receiver.

If the new leadership regime of Liam Coen, James Gladstone and Tony Boselli have already made clear, it is that they are ready to lean on Thomas in the passing game. Entering the NFL Draft, the Jaguars are one team that will not be searching for their No. 1 receiver -- they already have him.

"He's so dynamic, being able to move him around, where you saw him at LSU, maybe not do some of those things, right? Where he was mostly outside, running more linear routes, vertical posts, some overs and then the stop," Coen said at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this offseason.

"So, the ability for him to snap down, get in the slot, be able to run some of the choice routes, looky routes, and then, oh, by the way, you can throw him a screen and he can go do something with it. Our pass game will run through him, and super excited to get to work with him.”

While the Jaguars won't be looking for a No. 1 receiver in next week's draft, there does seem to be a fair question of how early the Jaguars should invest in a running mate for Thomas -- or if they should find a running mate at all.

On one hand, the Jaguars have a third-year receiver in Parker Washington who has flashed and produced when called upon. They also have free agent signing Dyami Brown, who will clearly have a sizable role in the offense. Add in Gabe Davis and the Jaguars have four veteran receivers to enter the draft with.

On the other hand, the Jaguars parted ways with four different receivers from last year's receiver room. While Washington and Brown have both shown plenty of traits in their NFL careers so far, the Jaguars could add an electric playmaker on a cheap rookie deal who can grow with Thomas.

Considering the Jaguars' ownership of four top-100 picks, it seems unlikely they won't at least add to the receiver position in the first three rounds. That is where the strength of the draft class is, and the Jaguars can match value with the short- and long-term needs of the receiver room.