Big Cat Country
Mandatory Minicamp Day 2 is in the books, and the Jacksonville Jaguars gave the fanbase plenty to talk about. The biggest story was one fans had been waiting to see, Brian Thomas Jr stringing together multiple days operating with the kind of confidence and precision that defined his rookie campaign. But BTJ wasn’t the only one making noise on Wednesday. Here’s a full breakdown of who’s trending up and who has some work to do.
The second-year undrafted cornerback continues to be one of the most consistent storylines of the Jaguars’ offseason program to date. On Wednesday, Muhammad recorded back-to-back pass breakups in a red zone team period, came away with an interception off a C.J. Williams deflection, and showed tight coverage on a Parker Washington out-breaking route to open the following period. In 2026, he’s simply been on another playing level, with the ball simply finding him in every practice.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile took notice after practice. “I think he’s improved a ton but just watching him, he’s really been super detailed with his technique,” Campanile said. “I think that’s one of the things that shows up. Very deliberate in the way that he’s practicing, and I think that’s created some takeaways for him and making some plays on the ball. He just always seems to be near the action right now, so he’s really done a great job and improved a bunch this spring.”
No more conversation needed. Jacksonville’s number one receiver looked every bit his 2024 self on Wednesday, and then some. Thomas hauled in a 15-yard sideline catch against Montaric Brown, followed by a 45-yard deep shot where he created separation with a veteran shoulder lean against Jarrian Jones. He then turned a middke field catch-and-run into what would have been a 30-plus yard gain with Jones trailing, and capped his day in the two-minute drill with a 40-yard sideline bomb from Trevor Lawrence over Christian Braswell.
Head Coach Liam Coen was effusive in his praise after practice. “I know there were standards in which he wanted to improve upon. And so, the fact that he’s just come out here and worked his ass off, having a great attitude, after every play, communication with either myself or Trevor or EB or Grant, whatever it is, and then making the plays, that is something that you cannot simulate in routes on air. You cannot simulate that type of confidence until you do it in practice….the confidence of the connection and chemistry that they’re building, that’s real.”
You cannot separate Wednesday’s offensive performance from the man delivering the football. Lawrence was sharp, accurate, and in command throughout, moving the starting offense up and down the field. Connecting on the deep ball repeatedly and orchestrating a clean two-minute drill to close the day, the chemistry between not just Lawrence and Thomas, but the entire group, looked as natural as...
