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Jacksonville Jaguars' Liam Coen confident offense can run through rookie Brian Thomas Jr.
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- Jacksonville Jaguars' Liam Coen confident offense can run through rookie Brian Thomas Jr.
Much like many onlookers and observers, when it comes to Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. , new head coach Liam Coen was impressed with what he saw.
Thomas just wrapped up the best rookie season for a receiver in franchise history. He set franchise marks in catches, yards and touchdowns for a rookie while also carrying the load of Jacksonville's offense as several key players were injured.
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Thomas earned a Pro Bowl nod , Professional Football Writers of America All-AFC team honors and is a finalist for Rookie of the Year .
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"I was so pleasantly surprised watching his tape this year," Coen told a group of reporters shortly after his introductory press conference. "We didn't really evaluate — I watched him because we were watching wide receivers, but we weren't taking a wideout in the first round. And I saw a guy who had the skill set to go vertical."
That was the consensus on Thomas coming into the league. He led the nation in touchdowns his final season at LSU. He was clocked at 4.33 in the 40-yard dash and at 6-foot-3 he has the size to go up and snag passes over defenders.
But the Jaguars unlocked more to Thomas' game in 2024. As pass catchers Christian Kirk , Gabe Davis and Evan Engram were sidelined with season-ending ailments, Thomas was placed into situations a rookie receiver wouldn't typically see.
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The Jaguars started moving him around the formation , aligning him in the slot or putting him in motion pre-snap. And he came out successful in those situations.
"I did not know he had the ability to do what he did in the slot," Coen said. "I probably didn't evaluate him hard enough, but also, they did a good job getting that right."
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) beats out New York Jets safety Chuck Clark (36) and cornerback Kendall Sheffield (27) for a touchdown score during the fourth quarter Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jets held off the Jaguars 32-25. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
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Coen made the declaration during his introductory press conference that Jacksonville's offense would be about Trevor Lawrence . It's not farfetched to think it'll feature heavy dosages of Thomas in it, though.
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Thomas started all 17 games for Jacksonville, recording 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. He finished third in the league in receiving yards, only trailing LSU alums Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson .
With Coen at the helm those numbers could see an increase next season.
"To be able to put him in a slot and run lookie, run choice, run the option routes, run the middle of the field a little bit," Coen said of Thomas. "And then also be able to throw screens to him and he's going to go do something with it.
"An offense can run through that."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars Liam Coen 'pleasantly surprised' with Brian Thomas
