When it comes to draft stock ahead of the 2024 NFL draft, LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr had himself quite the weekend. In turn, he very well may have earned himself quite a bit of money as franchises begin to take a closer look at the talented pass catcher.
Brian Thomas Jr creating a name for himself one step at a time
“Freak of nature bro.”
While the rest of the country might not yet be aware of the elite nature of LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr, fellow pass catcher Malik Nabers is about as familiar as it gets.
“I know a lot of people think he doesn’t love the game of football. He loves the game of football. He’s a freak athlete. When I watched him the first time when we were out there our freshman year, I’m like, ‘This dude’s gonna be a problem.'”
As it turns out, Nabers would go on to be exactly correct about the trajectory of the former four-star recruit. In his three seasons with the program, Thomas Jr was about as dominant a redzone threat as you’ll find at the college level, recording 127 receptions for 1,897 yards and 24 touchdowns.
For context, those 24 touchdowns have officially placed him in the Tiger record books, as he ranks tied for third all-time in touchdown receptions.
Now, as we look ahead to his future, it’s on to the NFL, and after an electric performance at the 2024 NFL combine, his draft stock very well might be at an all-time high.
The star LSU wide receiver put together a historic performance at the 2024 NFL combine
Almost right from the get-go, LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr made it clear that he was going to have a dominant 2024 NFL combine during yesterday’s testing.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 209 pounds, there was never any question about the Walker, LA, product’s size and overall catching ability. However, coming out of the weekend, it’s become abundantly clear that his speed might sneakily be one of his biggest strengths.
Running an official 4.33-second 40-yard dash, he came away with the second fastest time out of his fellow wide receivers – second to the new record holder, Xavier Worthy.
Still, that wasn’t the only aspect Thomas Jr impressed in. As an overall prospect, very few players in the 2024 class rated higher from a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) standpoint. When combining various categories such as height, weight, wingspan, drills, etc., he came away with a score of 9.97 out of 10.0.
Not only does his score rank top-10 among all wide receivers from 1987 to 2024, but it places him in the same tier as legendary wide receivers such as Julio Jones, Vincent Jackson and Andre Johnson. Only two pass catchers have ever come away with a perfect 10.0, as Calvin Johnson leads the pack.
From a draft stock point of view, it’s hard to imagine how the LSU wide receiver could have done any better for himself. Whether it leads to a higher selection is yet to be seen, but it shouldn’t surprise in the slightest if his stock continues to rise up to the very end.
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