The LSU wideout is a bit of a one-trick pony — but it’s a good trick.

Approaching the 2024 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.

One of the most popular first-round selections for the Steelers in expert mock drafts, LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. is a name to watch as the 2024 NFL Draft draws closer.

The basics on Brian Thomas Jr.

• Position: Wide receiver
• Class: Junior (LSU)
• Size: 6’3, 209 pounds
• Age: 21 years old
• Projected draft round: Round 1

Offensive stats via Sports Reference

Brian Thomas Jr. scouting report

Brian Thomas Jr.’s 2023 stats at LSU are straight out of Madden — over a thousand receiving yards, 17.3 yards per catch, and a whopping 17 touchdowns. He got there by emerging as college football’s premier deep threat last season. Despite being a larger receiver at 6’3, 209 pounds, Thomas runs a 4.33-second 40-yard dash — and that couldn’t be more obvious on his vertical routes. Thomas’ pure speed and acceleration are among the best in this year’s class. In every game I watched of his, there was at least one instance when he toasted a defensive back for a massive gain.

I can’t stress enough just how common of an occurrence this was on Thomas’ tape without simply embedding his 2023 highlight reel. The way he throttles up effortlessly at the line of scrimmage is a joy to watch. Thomas can really take the top off the defense.

The reason why I hammer this point so much is because it’s the main reason why Thomas is considered a first-round pick, and understandably so — but the rest of his game is not anywhere as exciting.

For one, despite having a massive, promising frame for a wide receiver, Thomas’ contested catch game is rather subpar. He’s excellent at tracking the deep ball, but he prefers to body catch, having issues with more difficult grabs, even if they hit him right in the hands.

The drops I’ve compiled in the cut-up below aren’t exactly routine catches, but you’d hope that a receiver of Thomas’ caliber would have the concentration to haul more of them in. It was a common issue on tape.

That isn’t to say it was all bad. Thomas has the build to be a 50/50 ball machine if he continues to develop, and there were flashes of it from time to time at LSU. You’ll see this as a common theme in this draft report: if Thomas can become a more complete receiver, he has all the tools to be a star WR1 in the pros.

Thomas’ route tree will be another issue for him as he transitions to the NFL. We’ve already established he’s an elite, polished route-runner when going deep, with a good understanding of slightly slowing down before turning on the burners to leave defensive backs in the dust. However, those deep routes, along with some shallow curls, were about the extent of Thomas’ route tree at LSU.

The curls weren’t exactly anything to write home about. They resulted in yards, but Thomas didn’t have to run them with much urgency as he often had a massive cushion to exploit. Plays like the one below can be found in every one of the games I watched. Again, they’re not bad routes, just not the most exciting in terms of NFL potential.

Sometimes, Thomas’ route-running and willingness to attack the ball could get a little underwhelming.

And while he did have some good reps as a blocker, more often than not he left something to be desired. Just a little bit of effort in the play below (and the running back not getting hurt) could’ve resulted in a much bigger gain.

Thomas is hardly lethargic as an overall player, though. He’s a smooth runner with long strides who doesn’t always look like he’s moving as fast as he is, but he still shows a lot of potential in terms of his change of direction. Thomas had some great yards after catch at LSU, with moves you shouldn’t be seeing from a receiver his size.

In short, the potential is off the charts with Thomas. If he develops, he’ll be something special, and even as a rookie he’ll be an immediate contributor as a dangerous vertical threat.

Strengths

• Uncanny speed, acceleration for size
• Superb vertical route-running, ball tracking
• Flashes of excellent stop-start ability
• NFL-ready frame, potential to be a more physical receiver

Weaknesses

• Extremely limited college route tree
• Lacks concentration as a hands-catcher
• Run blocking is generally lackluster

What others are saying about Brian Thomas Jr.

Natalie Miller of Draft Wire

Every NFL team is looking for their own version of a tall, down-the-field, deep threat. Thomas fits the mold of what teams want, though his physicality at the top and bottom of the route leaves something to be desired. Thomas is going to walk into the NFL on day one as a starting receiver and force teams to pay attention to his deep speed and ability to take the top off their defense. Should Thomas add some muscle to his frame and become a more physical player, he could become a top receiver in the league.

Jordan Foote of Arrowhead Report

Thomas’s athletic profile is one of the most intriguing in this entire draft class, let alone at just the wide receiver position. He’s a tantalizing jump ball and/or deep threat, as he boasts good length blended with good timing on his leaps… Thomas, in my estimation, is in the same general bucket as [Keon] Coleman. Both players boast very intriguing athletic profiles and can attack defenses in similar fashions early on. They’re also young and are brimming with upside, making them ideal developmental receivers for a team looking to solve for “X” in their offense.

Bernd Buchmasser of Pats Pulpit

If you had to sum up Thomas Jr.’s game with one word, it would be “smooth.” Despite measuring in at almost 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds at the Combine, he is as effortless a mover on the football field as you will ever see… Even though there already is a lot to like about Thomas Jr. entering the NFL, he has plenty of room for growth. His route tree in particular has room to grow a few branches, as noted above, and as those get added he should develop into a true three-down threat at the X-receiver spot. Think of his growth potential as similar to current Seattle Seahawks wideout DK Metcalf, who also had limited routes in his toolbox but was steadily and patiently developed to become a top-tier wideout.

Brian Thomas Jr.’s fit with the Steelers

Brian Thomas has been an incredibly popular choice in mock drafts over the past few months, with many respected experts projecting him to Pittsburgh. Still, the Steelers haven’t shown much interest in the LSU receiver this draft cycle, meeting with him at the combine but not for a visit — top-30 or at his pro day.

Thomas profiles very similarly to Texas’ Adonai Mitchell, a slightly more polished, but less productive and slightly slower play speed-wise receiver Pittsburgh has shown some pre-draft interest in. Both would give the Steelers an instant WR2 next to George Pickens with sky-high upside.

However, Thomas would simply give the Steelers another big-play threat on the outside — not a bad thing by any means, but Pittsburgh would still be lacking the proven, chain-moving presence on short and intermediate routes that Diontae Johnson provided. An offense with Russell Wilson slinging deep balls to Pickens and Thomas would be a fun thing to watch, but the Steelers would still be left with a lot of question marks — not just at wide receiver, but also without a first round pick on the offensive line. Thomas could be a great selection at No. 20 for the black and gold, but he’d be a risky one.

TL;DR: Brian Thomas Jr. is a tall, blazing fast deep threat with the frame and tools to be an all-around elite X receiver. However, he still has a long way to go before he becomes a complete player.

What are your thoughts on LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!