Brian Thomas

ANALYSIS
Jacksonville managed to trade back from 17 and still get the No. 4 receiver in the class in Thomas. With Calvin Ridley gone, a Brandon Aiyuk trade not materializing, and Gabe Davis checking in as the only free-agent addition at wideout, receiver was a need in Duval. Thomas comes to Jacksonville after a stellar junior season at LSU in which he led the nation in receiving touchdowns (17) and caught 68 of 89 targets for 1,177 yards (13.2 YPT). He's a lanky wideout at 6-foot-3, 209 pounds with blazing straight-line speed (4.33 40). It's worth noting that Thomas never had more than 361 yards in a season before his breakout, and that he played with a Heisman-winning quarterback and alongside Malik Nabers. Thomas fits nicely as a vertical option in this offense, but Davis, Christian Kirk and Evan Engram threaten his target ceiling for now. The LSU star could be explosive on a per-target basis as a rookie, but his viability in all fantasy formats will depend on just that, because a high catch volume appears unlikely with his profile.

ANALYSIS
As has been the case in the majority of mock drafts, Thomas didn't come off the board until after fellow wide receivers Marvin Harrison, Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze. The mock draft also had tight end Brock Bowers go ninth, leaving The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt to select Thomas with the 10th overall pick for the Jets. While pick 10 is just about the upper bound of Thomas' realistic range, the wide receiver prospect out of LSU is expected to be a first-round pick when the 2024 NFL Draft begins Thursday.