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Brian Thomas Jr. can open up Jaguars offense. Here's what Pederson and Baalke had to say.
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- Brian Thomas Jr. can open up Jaguars offense. Here's what Pederson and Baalke had to say.
Brian Thomas Jr. was always the pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars .
While the Jaguars traded back six spots with the Minnesota Vikings from pick No. 17 to 23, there was no question who the choice was — that is, if he was still there.
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"He was going to be the pick at 17," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said quickly when asked about where they had Thomas ranked in terms of value.
For a second year in a row, the Jaguars opted to trade out of their original position to acquire the player they were going to pick at that spot. In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Jaguars selected Anton Harrison with the 27th overall pick after the team traded down twice, moving from pick No. 24.
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"We just felt, the way the board looked and where the needs were, the teams in between us, we felt we had a chance," Baalke said, adding that there's always risk and reward involved when moving back.
"We felt we were gonna get a really good football player that we had high on our board with the move back, but fortunate that Brian was still there."
The Jaguars received a fifth-round pick (No. 167) this year and third and fourth-round picks next year to trade back with the Vikings, ultimately acquiring Thomas, the speedy wideout from LSU.
The Jaguars were not in a position to trade up to get one of the top three receivers, Baalke said, that included Rome Odunze ( Chicago Bears , pick No. 9), Malik Nabers ( New York Giants , pick No. 6) and Marvin Harrison Jr. ( Arizona Cardinals , pick No. 4).
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Baalke said the team was prepared to attempt some movement if one had fallen, but they never did.
When asked about the trade compensation, Baalke said there weren't any other picks from this year's draft being offered by Minnesota. Still, it gives Jacksonville another top-100 pick in next year's draft.
"You take what they give you, right?" said Baalke.
'He can open the field': Jaguars bullish on Thomas' speed, size
23. Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
For Jacksonville, Thomas fills the void left vacant by receiver Calvin Ridley who opted to join the Tennessee Titans via free agency.
At 6-foot-3, 209 pounds, Thomas was one of the top receivers in this year's class and was a semifinalist for the 2023 Biletnikoff Award after leading the nation with 17 touchdowns, hauling in 58 passes for 1,177 yards for the Tigers.
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To the Jaguars, he represents a player akin to Ridley, Pederson said.
"You're adding a guy that has an element of speed that we haven't had probably since Calvin [Ridley] last year," said Pederson.
"Once we get him in here too and really get our hands on him, get him into the playbook in a couple of weeks and really see how we can use him, I think it can only be a great asset for us on offense, not only to open the field but I think open up some other elements of the offense."
For Baalke, the Jaguars' GM praised his ability to get open downfield, noting that he had over 10 touchdowns last year of 20 or more yards.
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"So, he's an explosive athlete. He can help open up the offense a little bit, certainly, a younger receiver for Trevor to build around in our offense. So there were a lot of positives to the pick. A lot of time and energy went into it," said Baalke.
Ultimately, selecting Thomas was yet another step in the team's building process.
Brian Thomas Jr . was 'confident' Jaguars would be his landing spot
Florida Gators cornerback Jalen Kimber (8) tries to defend LSU Tigers wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (11) as Thomas pulls in a reception for a touchdown in the first half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 15, 2022. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
There was also no question in Thomas' mind where he'd go — OK, maybe a little bit of question, but not too much.
"I knew that it was a chance when I went on my Top 30 visit, I was pretty confident after I left," Thomas said shortly after being selected about his expectations and interactions with the Jaguars before being drafted.
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"I knew there was a chance that I could get selected by the Jaguars, but I didn't know for sure that they were going to pick me or not."
Thomas attended the draft in Detroit this year and was joined by his parents, cousins and his agent.
"So I got all of them here with me. We're just all excited, ready to get to Jacksonville and get going."
In three years at LSU, Thomas accounted for 127 catches for 1,897 yards and 24 total touchdowns. He got open plenty at LSU and hopes to bring that to Jacksonville.
"Just my ability to use my speed, be able to get open, create space on defenders. I would say that's just a big role in how I play and I'm just happy to be a part of the Jacksonville Jaguars , and just ready to get going," said Thomas.
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Growing up a fan of the NFL, Thomas said he looked up to likely future Hall of Famer, former Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones , one of the best receivers to play the game of football.
"Growing up, my favorite wide receiver would have to be Julio Jones, just growing up and watching him do the things that he can do," Thomas said.
"I was kind of bigger, so I was trying to model my game after somebody who had my body type. I would say Julio Jones, he was my favorite player, or one of my favorite players; my favorite wide receiver growing up."
For Jaguars fans, if they get even an ounce of Julio Jones out of Thomas, it's safe to say they'll be happy.
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Thomas joins receivers Christian Kirk , Zay Jones and newly-acquired wideout Gabe Davis in addition to tight end Evan Engram and running back Travis Etienne to round out the team's skill players.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Brian Thomas Jr. talks Jaguars draft; Baalke, Pederson bullish on pick
