Jaguars Receivers: Taking the Next Step
Trevor Lawrence hasn't had much help on the offensive side of the ball during his short time in the league thus far.
That is until this past season when Brian Thomas Jr entered the league and took it by storm.
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The rookie racked up 1,282 yards (3rd in the NFL) and ten touchdowns. He really didn't get started until the latter half of the season, shattering the previously held Jaguars' rookie records.
He would've gotten close to the single-season franchise records too if he'd been targeted in the first half of the season. Despite finishing third in receiving yards, he was only targeted 19th most of any receiver.
His size, speed, and craftiness for his age already have made him a top ten receiver in the league. Fantasy Points' metrics show that Brian Thomas Jr created more separation on slant routes than any other receiver.
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With the losses of Kirk and Engram, James Gladstone made a concerted effort to find quality receivers to complement Brian Thomas Jr and did he ever.
In Free Agency, Gladstone added Dyami Brown, a screen game merchant and yards after catch specialist for the Washington Commanders.
Honestly, a perfect choice for Liam Coen's offense. Brown's ability to make plays after the catch was sorely missed last season and should only be amplified in Coen's offense. Brown averaged 7.3 yards after the catch last season, 8th among 110 receivers.
That would have led the Jaguars as would have his 11 forced missed tackles. The Jaguars offense was about league average last season in yards after the catch, however, that was in large part due to Brian Thomas Jr. According to FTN, the Jags averaged 5.3 yards, but Brian Thomas' 6.6 YAC/R propped that up a fair bit.
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Gladstone then doubled down and selected the reigning Heisman winner, Travis Hunter.
Hunter's ball skills are as good as any receiver in recent draft history and it's something that was sorely needed in Jacksonville. The Jaguars were able to catch just 33.8% of their contested catch opportunities last season, 30th in the NFL.
While Thomas led the team with six contested catches, the rest of the Jaguars' receiving room was able to add just seven more on 27 targets (25.9%).
Hunter, however, saw the highest career contested catch rate (65.5%) of any first round receiver since at least 2014. His ball skills were commonly on display whether at cornerback or receiver.
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He can make you miss too; his 24 missed tackles forced in 2024 ranked eighth in college football.
Drops have continued to plague the Jaguars. While they got better with Mac Jones under center, the Jaguars' 4.7% drop rate still ranked 20th in the NFL.
It's been an issue that has doomed the team for years now and seems to never go away. In the least three seasons, the Jaguars have an astounding 78 drops.
With the additions of Dyami Brown and Travis Hunter, the Jaguars now boast what many think could be one of the better receiving corps in the league.
Add in Brenton Strange and it truly feels like Trevor Lawrence is set up for success this season. The pieces are there; now it's time to put them all together.
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