Brian Thomas Jr. WR LSU: Scouting Report

Height: 6’4

Weight: 205

Overall

Brian Thomas Jr. is a vertical “X” receiver in LSU’s pass heavy offense. In his 3 seasons with the Tigers, he played in 38 games, starting 27 of them. He had a lot of production this past season and was a big-time playmaker in a high powered offense. With his elite blend of size, speed, explosiveness he can be very successful at the next level.

Pass Game

In the pass game, Thomas has excellent speed off the line of scrimmage and easily accelerates past defenders on go routes. He has quick feet to dodge the defensive backs' hands in press and quickly gets on defender’s heels when they are playing off. He did not run an extensive route tree in college but with his athleticism he should be able to develop into a very strong route runner moving forward. On film he ran mostly go routes and hitches. On in-breaking routes and comebacks he rounded out his breaks and he struggled to make immediate separation at the top of his routes but he has the acceleration to separate further down the field. With his size he struggles adjusting to the ball behind him over the middle of the field. He also had some concentration drops this past season but he shows the ability to make tough catches down the field. On fades, he does an excellent job of high pointing the ball and with his length he is a match-up nightmare in the redzone. After the catch, he shows some elusiveness to evade defenders along with the speed to get up the field and create big plays but he lacks the strength to break tackles. Whether it’s deep down the field or on hitch routes he is a big play waiting to happen.

Run Game

In the run game, Thomas was rarely used on designed runs and was often used as a blocker on screen passes. He has the size to be an effective blocker on the outside but he needs to be more physical to block against NFL level corners.

Last Word

Thomas played primarily on the outside with a few snaps in the slot but he projects best as an outside “X” receiver where he can be a vertical threat deep down the field. He has good hands but he will need to develop as a route runner on short routes to be a reliable 3rd down target. His elite physical tools and speed will make him an immediate impact player on Special Teams.

One-Liner: Brian Thomas Jr. has the elite physical tools to be a dominant outside receiver in the NFL, but he will need to develop as a route runner before he can become a true number 1 weapon for an offense.

Grade: 6.7 (Sold Starter on All 3 Downs)

Games Watched: 2023 - Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, Florida

Team Fits: Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars