Who is Brian Thomas Jr? LSU receiver may be Cincinnati NFL draft target in first round

The 2024 NFL draft is approaching, and Cincinnati Bengals fans can't wait to see which player the team will select in the first round with the 18th overall pick.

The Bengals could address positional needs on the offensive and defensive lines. Some say they wouldn't be surprised to see Cincinnati take the best wide receiver available.

Would the Bengals consider pairing another LSU receiver with star wideout Ja'Marr Chase? If the Tigers' Brian Thomas Jr. isn't taken within the first 17 picks of the draft, some say it could happen.

"Thomas is an elite player, so this should be a no-brainer for Cincinnati," Fox Sports' Joel Klatt wrote in a mock draft.

"Thomas is an athletic playmaker with the size and ball skills to thrive as a WR2 opposite Ja'Marr Chase," NFL Network's Bucky Brooks wrote.

"Franchise-tagged receiver Tee Higgins still desires to be traded, and though a deal is not a certainty, it's a reminder that the Bengals have to examine the receiver spot in the draft. Higgins could choose to play out the season and test free agency in 2025 (a double tag is expensive), and the wideout room could become historically expensive if Higgins is extended with Ja'Marr Chase now also extension eligible. Thomas has the best second gear of any wideout in the class, as his effortless ability to separate down the field helped him lead the FBS with 17 receiving touchdowns in 2023," ESPN's Field Yates wrote.

What to know about Thomas:

Thomas posted huge numbers in his third season for the LSU Tigers.

The receiver had 28 catches for 359 yards with two touchdowns as a freshman at LSU, and 31 receptions for 361 yards with five TDs as a sophomore.

Last season, he finished with 68 catches for 1,177 yards with an FBS-leading 17 TDs.

He was named third-team Associated Press all-American, and second-team all-SEC.

"Thomas rarely has issues generating separation deep and could be counted on as an NFL team's designated deep guy early in his career," Lance Zierlein wrote in NFL.com's draft profile. "Thomas is unpolished but has projectable talent to become a WR1/2 in time."

Thomas ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.

Among receivers, only Texas' Xavier Worthy ran a faster 40 at the combine, and Worthy set a new combine record.

Some think Thomas' teammate, Malik Nabers, could be the first receiver selected in the draft.

Some tweets about Thomas' speed:

Thomas was the Tigers' leading receiver in a 35-31 LSU win against Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Thomas had eight receptions for 98 yards with two touchdowns against the Badgers. With LSU trailing 31-28 with 3:08 left in the fourth quarter, Thomas caught the game-winner, a 4-yard yard pass from Garrett Nussmeier.

Nabers finished the game with three catches for 23 yards.

Thomas starred in football and basketball at Walker High School in Louisiana.

In 2020, Thomas had 30 catches for 507 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior, with two rushing TDs. As a junior, he had 75 receptions for 1,272 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Thomas was selected to participate in the 2021 Adidas All-American Bowl.

In three seasons of basketball, he scored more than 1,000 points in each season. As a freshman, he helped Walker to its first 5A championship in school history in 2018, and led Walker back to the state title game the following season, scoring 29 points with eight rebounds in a loss.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who is Brian Thomas Jr? LSU WR may be Cincinnati NFL draft target