JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Brian Thomas Jr. was all by himself.
He wasn't supposed to be, but the defensive back hesitated for a half second and that's all it took for Thomas to run past. Then it was an easy catch of the deep throw by Trevor Lawrence for a touchdown.
And it didn't happen just once, but multiple times during the Jacksonville Jaguars' two OTA practices that were open to the media.
That's one encouraging sign that Thomas and Lawrence may have finally developed the chemistry they've been talking about for more than a year. It also could be a very early indication that Thomas, the subject of numerous offseason trade rumors, could be headed for a bounce-back season.
"With all the better or great quarterbacks and the wide receiver, I feel like they had great chemistry," Thomas said earlier this week. "Just the quarterback knowing where the wide receiver's going to be at certain times and at certain points. Knowing that he can rely on them and trust them to go be there at a certain time when he needs them to be there."
It has taken a while for Thomas and Lawrence to get to this point. Lawrence missed seven games -- including the last five -- in Thomas' rookie season (2024) because of a concussion and shoulder injury, and it wasn't until after Lawrence left the field after sustaining the concussion in Week 13 that the Jaguars made Thomas the focal point of the pass game (double-digit targets in the final six games) with backup quarterback Mac Jones.
Thomas and Lawrence were both learning new head coach Liam Coen's offense and Lawrence's throwing was limited because he was coming off shoulder surgery. Coen also had Lawrence change his footwork, so with all that going on during the spring and training camp the chemistry between the two didn't develop as quickly as hoped.
Thomas started the season with five drops in the first seven games, and there were several instances in which he shied away from contact in the middle of the field. He also missed four games with ankle and shoulder injuries. As a result, he finished with 48 catches for 707 yards and two touchdowns, a significant drop-off from his rookie season (87 catches, 1,282 yards, 10 TDs).
All of that, however, has played a role in Thomas' resurgent spring and the improved chemistry between him and Lawrence, Coen said.
"I know you want your stats and your contributions to be at an all-time high. And yes, that is a part of this, it's a part of the puzzle," Coen said. "But the ball gets spread out in this offense to multiple different players. It doesn't really just feed through one person. So, I think that that's something that he had to work through, we all had to work through. And I've been very pleased with the way that he has attacked this offseason, the way that he takes the meeting room to the practice and how that's looked.
"We're being a little bit more intentional about usage and chemistry with him this spring and trying to get a true connection that we didn't quite have last spring or last training camp, if you will. So, I've been very pleased with how he's taken the things that we asked him to do, to get better at, and to be intentional about those reps."
Lawrence made improving the chemistry between the two one of his top offseason goals.
"We've put a lot of work in throughout all spring really of just trying to get the timing down, the chemistry, all those things, get on the same page, and it's starting to pay off," he said. "It doesn't always happen immediately. Sometimes it takes a little time. But he's super committed to it and so am I and I think us getting those extra reps is paying off."
Coen is excited about the improved connection between Thomas and Lawrence because it puts the offense in position to push the ball down the field more in 2026.
The Jaguars did that much better in the back half of the 2025 season. Per ESPN Research, the Jaguars had an NFL-high 39 attempts of 20-plus yards in Weeks 11-18 (eight games) after having 34 in Weeks 1-10 (nine games).
The 6-foot-2, 209-pound Thomas, with his 4.33 speed in the 40-yard dash, was a big part of that: He averaged 12.8 air yards per target in Weeks 1-10 (15th in the NFL) and led the NFL with 17.5 air yards per target in Weeks 11-18.
"We've got to keep pushing that envelope a little bit, especially with [Lawrence] and BT, that connection," Coen said.
Thomas said he came back this spring with a mindset change and an emphasis on not letting the little details in his preparation get overlooked. He said there wasn't anything in particular that spurred the change but said it had to happen if he was going to have a chance to make the kind of impact he made as a rookie.
"I wake up every day motivated just to be better, being a better person, trying to be the better teammate, better leader," Thomas said. "Just coming out here trying to be the best that I can be. Putting my best foot forward each and every day. Just continue to stay motivated. Don't let anything get in the way of anything. Whatever you got going on in life, whether it's outside of football, in football, just don't let that stop you or control your mindset the way you think about things."