NFL Analysis
4/25/24
3 min read
Brian Thomas Jr. NFL Draft 2024: Combine Results, Scouting Report For Jacksonville Jaguars WR
The 2024 NFL Draft is getting close, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Brian Thomas Jr.
Brian Thomas Jr.'S 2024 NFL COMBINE RESULTS
- Height: 6'3"
- Weight: 209 lbs
- 40-Time: 4.33 seconds
- 10-Yard Split: 1.55
- Vertical: 38.5"
- Broad Jump: 10'6"
- 3-Cone: DNP (Did Not Participate)
- Shuttle: DNP
Brian Thomas Jr. 2024 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT
STRENGTHS:
- A long, smooth outside receiver with a gliding feel to his movement. He is a strider with deceptive quickness and speed.
- Easy strider with build-up speed covering ground quickly to run by and get on top of corners on vertical routes.
- Flashed ability to make tough contested catches: 20-yard TD vs. Ole Miss and 23-yard TD vs. Texas A&M.
- Defeated press coverage with short-area quickness, burst off the ball and stride length into his vertical stem.
- There were routes he showed loose hips and body flexibility to stick his foot in the ground and cut with quickness.
WEAKNESSES:
- More straight-line linear than laterally quick or explosive in his movement. More smooth and fluid than sudden.
- Hands must become more consistent. A few too many drops on routine catches. Is it concentration or an issue?
- Two things you did not see much of on the 2023 tape: Multiple route concepts and run-after-catch.
- Did not see many routes that demanded separation at the top of the route stem. Another projection in transition.
- Overall, there was not a lot of physical element to Thomas, given his size. He must become more assertive and aggressive.
NFL TRANSITION:
Watching Thomas' 2023 tape, I sensed that he is an ascending talent with much to be cultivated and developed as you project and transition him to the next level. He is a long, smooth athlete with the accelerating speed to run by and get on top of corners. There is no question he is a vertical dimension who seemed to consistently find an extra gear as the ball was in the air.
There was a fluidity to his movement that belied his size and length. While he was not sudden or explosive, his movement had an easy gliding feel and a deceptive quickness. Thomas could be a work in progress as he transitions to the NFL, given that you did not see a lot of route diversity and that there was not a true physical element to his game.
But as I watched all his targets, I thought there might be some similarities to Tee Higgins. The bottom line with Thomas is he has home run ability with his size and stride length. That trait is always in demand. I believe there can be more to his game with coaching and natural development.
OTHER NOTES:
Thomas came out of Louisiana as a four-star recruit and stayed home to play for LSU. Thomas was also an outstanding high school basketball player. He finished his three-year college career with an outstanding 2023 season: 68 receptions, 1,177 yards, a 17.3 average and 17 touchdowns.
Thomas was almost exclusively an outside receiver in LSU’s offense, and he predominantly aligned to the strength of the passing formation, although there were snaps at boundary X.
