Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Brian Thomas Jr. Will Immediately Open Up Jaguars Offense as Explosive Threat
We saw a pattern in the Jacksonville Jaguars offense throughout preseason. Brian Thomas Jr. will be their big-play receiver.
In all three of the Jaguars’ preseason games, Thomas recorded a reception for 14-plus yards. He caught a pass from three different quarterbacks.
On Friday, Thomas hauled in a 28-yard pass from Jaguars’ starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Yes, Jacksonville played against the Falcons’ defensive reserves, but based on what Thomas has done in the exhibition contests, the team clearly plans to feature him in the passing game.
This offseason, the Jaguars signed Gabe Davis, who averages 16.7 yards per catch, but he left behind a track record of inconsistencies with the Buffalo Bills as a boom-or-bust receiver.
Thomas, a rookie first-rounder, could be a more consistent explosive threat than Davis and Christian Kirk, who’s a possession receiver.
Don’t be surprised if Thomas outpaces fellow LSU product Malik Nabers in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns this year.
Falcons Will Trade QB Taylor Heinicke, Perhaps for Late-Round 2026 Pick
Taylor Heinicke played through the entire first half of Friday’s game against the Jaguars. He completed eight out 17 passes for 81 yards.
Before the start of the preseason, The Athletic’s Josh Kendall suggested that the Falcons would “prefer” to trade Heinicke.
“The Falcons kept three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster last season so they could take advantage of the emergency quarterback spot on game days, but this staff is behaving like it would prefer to get some trade value for Taylor Heinicke and then stash a young quarterback on the practice squad.”
Atlanta could develop undrafted rookie John Paddock as the third-string quarterback behind Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr.
Heinicke didn’t perform particularly well in the three exhibition outings, going 20 of 44 passing 206 yards, but backup quarterbacks have value, especially signal-callers with starting experience.
Obviously, the Falcons won’t get a premium pick for Heinicke, though the team may be willing to trade him in exchange for a late-round 2026 pick rather than cut or keep him.