Bryan Thomas Jr. earned a spot on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ initial 2026 53-player roster as the lone undrafted free agent on the team. The defensive end from the University of South Carolina secured his place after making an impact in all three of his preseason appearances. His performance was built around pass-rush production and the urgency he brings to every play.
Thomas recorded 2.5 sacks and four quarterback hits in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 19-0 preseason Week 3 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at EverBank Stadium on Friday. He finished the preseason with 3.5 sacks, which ranked second in the NFL, and six quarterback pressures, tied for the league lead, according to the source. The production helped strengthen his case after he began competing for a roster spot during the Jaguars’ offseason program in May.
Thomas’ pass rush earned attention
Thomas said his approach is defined by urgency. “I always play with a sense of urgency,” he said. Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen said Thomas’ playing style fits the habits the team emphasizes.
“(Bryan’s) playstyle is the right way,” Coen said Friday. “It fits a lot of the things that we preach and that we’re about as a team.” Coen also said Thomas’ ability to rush the passer was impossible to overlook after the rookie led the defense during the shutout.
“When you have a gift of rushing the passer, man, it’s something that you can’t ignore,” Coen said Friday. “I thought the defense as a whole, obviously, with the shutout was huge, being led by Bryan, and he’s making it really difficult, which is a good thing.”
A family lesson in effort
Thomas said his approach to effort and running to the ball came from his father, Bryan Thomas Sr. His father played 157 games in 11 NFL seasons, all with the New York Jets, who selected him in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. Thomas Jr. said those lessons helped shape the way he plays.
“I always play with effort,” he said. “I learned that from my pops. He played in the league for a lot of years. I learned that from him, running to the ball, having a lot of effort and creating plays.”
Thomas also credited older players with helping him develop after signing with the Jaguars. He said he worked on weaknesses, learned from their feedback and stayed after practice to improve.
“Just little tweaks, weaknesses and stuff I can learn that they saw and told me about, just put in the extra hours when practice is over with. Just tuning those things up and just being a better version of myself,” Thomas said.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2026 active roster lists Thomas as No. 57 at defensive end. The source also identifies B.J. Green II as another undrafted free agent who made the Jaguars’ 2025 53-player roster, with Green and Thomas described as having similar explosive burst around the edge.
Source: Original report