The Jacksonville Jaguars are high on Brian Thomas Jr. despite the fact that he's coming off an underwhelming season. They're aware that you're bound to have ups and downs but are confident that the 2024 first-round pick can bounce back next season.
For his part, Thomas has repaid the Jags' trust with a strong offseason. He's acknowledged that he wasn't his best last year and is making an effort to put his struggles behind him.
And while Thomas is doing his part, Jacksonville should consider going back to some of the concepts that helped him thrive as a rookie.
The Jaguars need to use Brian Thomas Jr. like they did in 2024
Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times Union made an appearance on 1010 XL and said that Brian Thomas Jr. needs to run a complete route tree, but the Jaguars should that worked for him in his rookie season.
"One other thing that the staff in 2024 did during the last half of the season is they threw Thomas a lot of bubbles, and he was able to gain yards on that after the catch," O'Halloran said. "That did not happen this past year, so maybe you reintroduce that."
O'Halloran continued, "Say, 'hey, you can't just run nine routes, and we got two guys who can go over there.' Oh, you got to do that too, but also maybe throw it quick, see if you can weave your way around traffic to get up to top speed, because I think he can be explosive that way."
During the exchange, O'Halloran also argues that it would have been silly for the Jaguars not to listen to offers for Thomas in the offseason. On the other hand, he says that his value was so low, and his contract is so affordable that it didn't make sense to trade him.
Thomas hauled in 48 receptions for 707 yards with two touchdowns in 2025, a steep drop-off from his 82 catches for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns the year prior.
The Jaguars must design plays that showcase Brian Thomas Jr.'s skills
The prospect of Brian Thomas Jr. running basic concepts isn't that far-fetched, as it would maximize his skill set. This doesn't mean that he should be a one-trick pony, but rather that the Jaguars should put him in a position to succeed.
Last year, Thomas had trouble running in-breakers and crossing routes. He most definitely needs to work on that, but the coaching staff should also design plays that take advantage of his deep-threat capabilities, especially when you take into account that Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, and tight end Brenton Strange can also operate in the middle of the field.
And that's the thing, Thomas may not be a complete receiver at this point of his career, but he still is a matchup nightmare that can give opposing teams trouble.
Brian Thomas Jr. is trending toward being the player who took the league by storm as a rookie. To make sure he pulls it off, it wouldn't hurt to bring back some of the things that worked then.
