Brian Thomas Jr. Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Jonathan Mailhes)

School: LSU

Class: Junior

Position: WR

HT: 6’4

WT: 205 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #26

Background: Brian Thomas Jr was a 4-star wide receiver out of Walker, Louisiana. He was a top 100 player, top 10 wide receiver, and top 5 player in the state of Louisiana in the graduating class of 2021. Thomas was a star in both basketball and football for Walker High School. As a basketball player, Brian Thomas helped Walker win the school’s first ever state championship. As a junior, Thomas was named a 2nd Team All-Louisiana member for basketball. He scored over 1,000 points in all three seasons he played. As a football player for Walker High School, Thomas was even better. He only played 2 seasons for Walker, but he put up tremendous numbers. As a junior, he was able to catch 75 passes for 1,272 yards and 17 touchdowns. After a productive high school career, Brian Thomas was selected to participate in the Adidas All-American game. After his career at Walker concluded, Thomas committed to LSU over other SEC programs such as Alabama, Arkansas, and Florida.

College: As a freshman for the Tigers in 2021, Brian played in 12 games, making 9 starts. He hauled in 28 passes for 359 yards and 2 touchdowns. As a sophomore, Thomas put up a nearly identical season to the one prior. He tallied 31 receptions for 361 yards and 5 touchdowns. After these two seasons, Thomas hadn’t climbed to the top of big boards yet. 2023 was his breakout season. As a junior, Brian Thomas tallied 68 receptions for 1177 yards and 17 touchdowns. He cemented himself as one of the best receivers in the class and declared for the draft.

Strengths: Brian Thomas Jr is a really fast player with quick feet, despite being a bigger receiver. He combines size with elite movement. He has long arms for a receiver, providing a large catch radius for the quarterback. His hands are consistent and reliable, Thomas has had very few drops in his career. Thomas is a vertical threat because of his ability to naturally be a large target while also having speed that can take the top off of any defense. He has the strength to come down with contested catches or jump balls. Brian is great at keeping his eyes on the football and looking it in. No matter the physicality that he is forced to deal with, he is not deterred from looking in the football. Often lining up in the slot, he is a versatile option to line up anywhere. He beats press coverage with an interesting array of releases and he beats zone coverage by finding the soft spots before getting yards after the catch. Thomas is just as dangerous with the ball in his hands. Those elite movement skills and footwork that he displays on his routes are just as prominent when he has the ball in space.

Weaknesses: Brian Thomas does not have many glaring weaknesses, but he does not have a diverse route tree. When lined up in the slot in 2023, 60% of his routes were fade routes. This highlights that he was asked to do a very specific job in the TIgers’ offense. WHile he more than excelled in that role, it did not give him much to put on tape in terms of versatility.

Conclusion: Brian Thomas had a prolific season that vaulted him to the top of draft boards. He can make an impact in a variety of ways and his skillset suggests that he can do even more than what he did for LSU.

Scheme Fit: Scheme Versatile

Ideal Role: X Receiver

Best Team Fits: BUF, CAR, NYG

Player Comparison: Mike Evans

Player Grade: 87.2