Valid Reasons Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr. Is Due for a Bounce Back Season

Valid reasons Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr. is due for a bounce back season focus on health, role fit, and development within Jacksonville’s offense. The article says the 2024 first-round pick had a strong rookie output but saw his sophomore production drop in part due to injuries and usage. In 2024, Thomas finished with 48 catches for 707 yards and two touchdowns, and the following year expectations were high before his numbers slipped. The most immediate optimism, it notes, is that Thomas is healthy now after missing three games early in the 2025 season with injury issues. It also attributes improvement to how the Jaguars used him, contrasting limited success on in-breaking routes in the first two months with a later shift toward vertical throws after the team added Jakobi Meyers. Using NFL NextGenStats, the article reports Thomas averaged 17.4 air yards per target in Weeks 13-18, up from 12.5 in Weeks 1-9, and cites that deep-throw share rose after his return from an ankle injury.