The No. 23 pick of the 2024 NFL Draft went through a few hands before it landed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. But after trading back from No. 17, the team got its man in LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas.
Initially, the Jacksonville Jaguars held the 17th pick. However, a traditional draft night wheeler and dealer, the Minnesota Vikings, came calling as the teal-and-black attack was on the clock. The Vikings’ offer was to the Big Cat’s liking, so the team moved back to No. 23, adding a third- and fourth-round pick in the process.
No. 23 would have initially been the Cleveland Browns’ selection, but it went to the Houston Texans a few years back in the Deshaun Watson trade. Then, the Texans dealt the pick to Minnesota earlier this year, before the Vikings gave it to the Jacksonville Jaguars on draft night.
Jacksonville Jaguars Trade Back, Get Their Man
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While Brian Thomas may have been second-fiddle to Malik Nabers at LSU, he has the opportunity to be the main man with the Jacksonville Jaguars. While Nabers — who went No. 6 to the New York Giants — achieved All-American status with 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns receiving, Thomas’ stats also shine.
Thomas is the sixth LSU player drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars and the first since K’Lavon Chaisson in 2020.
Last season, Thomas caught 68 balls for 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns (three more than Nabers) to give him 1,897 yards and 24 scores over three seasons at LSU.
At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Thomas possesses the size required to be a threatening wideout. He also demonstrated his blazing speed by running a 4.33 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. His 10-foot-6 broad jump and 38.5-inch vertical jump demonstrated his exceptional leaping ability.
While Nabers was known as the better route-runner, Thomas was the team’s big-play man, as his size and speed made for a hellacious matchup for opposing cornerbacks.
Thomas had a top quarterback with the Tigers in Jayden Daniels, and he will have a top-flight signal caller with the Jacksonville Jaguars in Trevor Lawrence. If he is able to produce, Thomas should have plenty of opportunity to thrive in River City.
The team’s current wide receiver corps featuring Gabe Davis, Zay Jones, and an injured Christian Kirk, is sub-par by NFL standards, giving Thomas a chance to shine in teal.
What’s Next for Jacksonville Jaguars
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The Jacksonville Jaguars had nine draft picks heading into Thursday night. With the team using one on Thomas and picking up two in the trade with the Vikings, there are now 10 picks still to work with. While Minnesota is known for making first-round trades, Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke has now made his third first-round pick swap. The team traded back twice in 2023 while trading up into the first round in 2022.
On Friday, the Jacksonville Jaguars have a second round pick (No. 48) and now two third round selections (Nos. 96 and 167). The team also has four fourth-rounders, two fifth-rounders, and one pick in each of the sixth and seventh rounds. That’s plenty of mid-round currency for the Jacksonville Jaguars to use if the team feels like doing some more swapping over the next two days.
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Tom Carothers is a sportswriter with more than 20 years of experience covering sports at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Still longing for the return of his Minnesota North Stars, he has a high pain tolerance as a big fan of the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Browns, and Tottenham Hotspur.
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