Who Should I Start? Brian Thomas Jr. or Matthew Golden

Sunday, August 9, 9:05 AM

Sports Illustrated's John Shipley writes that Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. "made a statement" in training camp practice on Sunday as he continues to stand out this summer. Shipley thinks Thomas' performance on Sunday "was the best day overall he has had." Early on, Thomas had "stellar reps" in one-on-one work in the red zone and caught a touchdown pass against Jarrian Jones, who has been one of the team's best cornerbacks in camp. BTJ's strong work continued in team drills, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence connecting with Thomas on a perfectly thrown downfield pass. Lawrence and Thomas continue to show elevated chemistry ahead of the 2026 regular season. In addition to downfield prowess, Thomas is "running crisper routes" and isn't putting as many balls on the ground. Shipley adds that he is "simply looking more and more like the 2024 version of himself," when he opened eyes with an 87-1,282-10 line as a rookie. With teammate Parker Washington's price soaring in fantasy drafts, Thomas is the better value pick of the two in fantasy drafts in 2026.