In a very early redraft of the 2024 NFL draft constructed by SI’s Daniel Flick, the Jacksonville Jaguars did not have the chance to pick Brian Thomas Jr. again. Instead, Thomas ended up being a top-five pick.
In this redraft, in what was a loaded wide receiver draft class, Thomas ended up being the first wideout taken and the first non-quarterback selected as well, going fourth overall to the Arizona Cardinals.
“Thomas finished one spot ahead of Malik Nabers in AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting and led all rookie receivers with 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns,” wrote Flick. “His 87 receptions finished third-best among all first-year players.”
The Jaguars would end up picking wide receiver Rome Odunze at 23rd overall.
As noted by Flick, Thomas put together a dominant rookie season. Going beyond just the rookie class, his 1,282 receiving yards were the third-most among all wide receivers, and he was seventh in yards per route run, an efficiency metric.
Making Thomas’ production all the more impressive was that he continued to put up big numbers when defenses knew the ball was coming his way and with some unsteady quarterback play when the Jaguars were without Trevor Lawrence.
This season, under new head coach Liam Coen, we are going to see Thomas’ role expand within this offense. This not only refers to potential opportunities, but also what he’s asked to do, which can include lining up in the slot more often and attacking each level of the field with more regularity and doing so in a variety of ways.
“He’s got those freakish talents, man,” Coen said of Thomas during offseason programs. “He’s got some freakish traits. Just his attention to detail in the meeting room setting.”
Coen added, “The ability for a big dude like him to be able to operate in the slot, run some of the choice and option routes, but also be able to go vertical and catch the ball downfield, he’s been a real pleasure to work with.”
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars miss out on Brian Thomas, who goes top 5 in 2024 redraft