Getty Brian Thomas Jr. catches touchdown
The Eagles are flying into Week 11 with an 8-1 record. It would be no surprise to anyone if they ended up in the Super Bowl once again.
Being one of the less needy teams makes it hard to predict what head coach Nick Sirianni and GM Howie Roseman might do in the upcoming 2024 NFL draft.
Sports Illustrated’s Luke Easterling has pinpointed an intriguing prospect for the Eagles, though, and that’s wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. of LSU.
In his recent mock draft, Easterling asks, “What do you get for the team that has everything? Another explosive playmaker, of course. Thomas, a prospect who is flying up the board thanks to a stellar 2023 campaign, is a big, athletic pass-catcher who can stretch the field and create matchup problems for opposing defenses.
“Adding him to a room that already includes A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith would be unfair.”
Thomas Jr. Would Be a Formidable Weapon for an Already Prolific Offense
At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Thomas Jr. would be a formidable and somewhat unique weapon for Jalen Hurts’ offense. Since his recent signing, Veteran and future Hall of Famer Julio Jones might be the closest in size on the current depth chart. At age 34, though, he hasn’t seen much in-game action so far.
Thomas Jr. would be bringing a combination of youthful energy, an elite size and speed combination, and a level of college production that suggests on-field success. This could all happen even as early as year one.
He would have to put on weight to be compared to other tall wide receivers like DK Metcalf, Tee Higgins, or Michael Pittman Jr., but his measurables and college statistics do look very similar to another LSU standout in D.J. Chark.
Thomas Jr. Has a Similar Profile to D.J. Chark
Chark currently plays for the Carolina Panthers but played his best NFL football for the Jaguars after being drafted in the second round in 2018. He had the highest athletic score of all wide receivers in his class. He ran a 4.34, had a 40-inch vertical, and broad jumped 10-feef-9-inches.
We’ll have to wait until the combine to see where Thomas Jr. tests out, but once again at 6-foot-4 with a 4.47 40-yard dash, he would already be predicted to have an elite athletic profile. This would put him in a tier with the top 10% of all wide receiver prospects who come into the NFL.
Where Thomas Jr. certainly beats out his LSU predecessor, though, is in college production.
Chark’s best year with LSU came in his senior season when he accumulated 874 yards through the air. He also scored four touchdowns. Thomas Jr. has already topped that, and it’s happening right now in his junior year.
Through just 10 games, Thomas Jr. has 918 yards receiving and an eye-popping 13 touchdowns. These numbers are actually closer to better prospects than Chark, like Higgins’ and Pittman’s college production.
There’s much time before the draft in April of 2024. The NFL playoffs must come and go. A Super Bowl must be played, but as news continues to come out concerning the prospects in this upcoming class, fans and analysts can’t help but drool over the potential.
The Eagles could focus on helping out the secondary where they’ve had injuries. The could pick up another pass rusher, or even bolster the line.
If they choose to bring in another receiver, though, Thomas Jr. streaking down the field with his unique combination of size and speed could certainly open up underneath routes for Brown and Smith. It would also open up the running game which benefits Hurts as well.