After a down season for Brian Thomas Jr. in 2025, will the Jacksonville Jaguars’ wide receiver be able to return to his previous form in 2026?
As a rookie, Thomas totaled nearly 1,300 receiving yards on 87 receptions. This past year, however, he hauled in only 707 receiving yards on 72 catches. Missed time contributed to Thomas Jr.’s dip in production, but even on a per-route basis, his efficiency fell.
ESPN’s Ben Solak recently took a closer look at what contributed to Thomas Jr.’s production drop-off and what might be ahead for him this season.
Contributing to the lack of production were dropped passes, particularly over the middle of the field. Solak also noted that Thomas Jr.’s usage on downfield throws was much higher in Year 2, and with that, there is going to be less consistency.
With the addition of Jakobi Meyers and the emergence of Parker Washington, the Jaguars no longer needed Thomas Jr. to attack the middle of the field or often operate on those underneath routes. Instead, his primary job was to stretch the field.
“For as uncomfortable as he can be around hits in the middle of the field, he seems far more fearless when elevating for above-the-rim snags downfield,” Solak wrote. “Thomas’ details on his breaking routes remain a work in progress, and miscommunications between him and quarterback Trevor Lawrence led to some of the between-the-numbers inaccuracy. But his ability to decelerate at his size is special and gives him plenty of separation on comebacks and back-shoulder fades.”
“For as uncomfortable as he can be around hits in the middle of the field, he seems far more fearless when elevating for above-the-rim snags downfield,” Solak wrote. “Thomas’ details on his breaking routes remain a work in progress, and miscommunications between him and quarterback Trevor Lawrence led to some of the between-the-numbers inaccuracy. But his ability to decelerate at his size is special and gives him plenty of separation on comebacks and back-shoulder fades.”
A major point of emphasis this offseason for the Jaguars has been on Trevor Lawrence and Brian Thomas Jr. continuing to develop their chemistry on downfield throws in the Liam Coen offense, which presumably is going to be a key factor to this entire operation this season.
Solak believes that Thomas Jr. can have a “DK Metcalf-esque role” in Jacksonville.
“If Thomas ends up relegated to a DK Metcalf-esque role — mostly outside snaps with a limited route tree — it will be a disappointment relative to our expectations for him coming out of 2024,” wrote Solak. “But in an offense that likes to push the ball, and with his blend of size and speed, he can thrive in that role. And perhaps he can regain some of his rookie confidence on those routes across the middle.”
“If Thomas ends up relegated to a DK Metcalf-esque role — mostly outside snaps with a limited route tree — it will be a disappointment relative to our expectations for him coming out of 2024,” wrote Solak. “But in an offense that likes to push the ball, and with his blend of size and speed, he can thrive in that role. And perhaps he can regain some of his rookie confidence on those routes across the middle.”
As a rookie, Thomas Jr. was the clear-cut No. 1 option in the Jaguars’ offense. However, that isn’t how things are going to work under Coen, where there isn’t a true No. 1 target. The ball will be spread around based on the weekly matchups and in-game situations.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: How Brian Thomas fits in Jaguars’ offense in 2026 NFL season
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