Brian Thomas Jr. Is Jaguars' Clear WR2

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was outstanding in Sunday's 24-20 Week 4 defeat to the Houston Texans. Thomas Jr. recorded six receptions for a team-high 86 receiving yards and one touchdown. The first-year playmaker feels fully entrenched as Jacksonville's No. 2 receiver at this point.

Thomas Jr. opened the scoring in Sunday's defeat. He came streaking across the middle on a play-action concept from 1st-and-goal on Houston’s 2-yard line. It was Thomas Jr.'s team-leading second receiving touchdown of the season.

Thomas Jr. had opportunities for an even larger afternoon. The former LSU standout absolutely destroyed Texans rookie cornerback Kamari Lassiter on a double move and was wide-open in the end zone. Jaguars starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence missed what would have been Thomas Jr.'s second touchdown.

Through four contests, Thomas Jr. has posted a team-best 275 receiving yards. He’s also tied for the team lead in receptions (17) and is second in targets at 26, behind Christian Kirk. He’s seen five more targets than perceived WR2 Gabe Davis and has accumulated eight more catches and 154 more receiving yards.

Thomas Jr. is also averaging 16.2 yards per reception, 11th-best in the NFL among receivers with at least 10 receptions. It’s also 2.8 more than Davis (13.4), who signed a three-year contract with the Jaguars worth $39 million in free agency. Despite that financial commitment, it's clearly Thomas Jr. that Lawrence has more confidence in.

Thomas Jr. has arguably been more impressive than the numbers indicate. Sometimes miscast as only a deep threat throughout the pre-draft process, it hasn't taken Thomas Jr. long to prove he's much more than a one-trick pony. The Walker, Louisiana native has been a terrific three-level route runner.

Opposing cornerbacks have respected Thomas Jr.'s deep speed all season long. He's seeing an average of 7.1 yards of cushion between him and defenders at the time of snap on all targets, according to data collected by Next Gen Stats. Thomas Jr. ranks 18th among all qualifying receivers in that category.

Thomas Jr. has accounted for 26.97% of Lawrence's air yards. He places sixth among rookie wideouts in that department, trailing just the likes of Malik Nabers, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Ladd McConkey.

Thomas Jr. has created an average of 3.3 yards of separation between him and cornerbacks on his intended targets. That's above the league-average mark of 2.96 yards. Thomas Jr. is routinely beating coverage while making himself a QB-friendly weapon.

Thomas Jr. has also been more elusive than many scouts anticipated while writing up his scouting reports. The first-round wideout is averaging 4.8 yards after catch per reception. Lawrence has struggled this season, but he's seeing a stellar passer rating of 110.3 when targeting Thomas Jr, per Pro Football Focus.

The Jaguars utilized the No. 23 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thomas Jr. despite signing Davis to a lucrative contract in free agency. Thomas Jr. is already outperforming Davis in every metric while firmly establishing himself as Lawrence's second-favorite target.