NFL Draft 2024 Rumors: Brian Thomas Jr. Flagged by Teams over Injury Concerns

Several NFL teams have reportedly flagged LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas for medical reasons in advance of the draft, which begins Thursday in Detroit.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic (h/t Evan Silva of Establish the Run) relayed the news on The Athletic Football Show (50-minute mark).

"There have been teams in the top 10 that have brought him in for top-30 visits," Brugler said on Thomas.

"Could he fall out of the top-18 picks? Where does he land? I feel like there's a wide range of spots for him.

"I haven't seen it out there, but several teams have flagged him for medical reasons, so that's just...something to keep in mind as the first round plays out."

Brugler previously posted Wednesday that he was "really intrigued with the landing spot for Thomas," noting the potential of him going No. 10 to the New York Jets.

Thomas is coming off a 68-catch, 1,117-yard, 17-touchdown season at LSU. He's ranked 18th overall and fourth among wideouts on the final B/R NFL Scouting Department big board.

The 6'3", 209-pound Thomas sports massive potential on the next level. He's a potentially explosive wideout who can help carry a passing game, as B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen wrote:

"Thomas has the big-play potential to be a weapon in the NFL. It's hard to find players with his size, speed and instant burst. While he may not yet be the most complete receiver, Thomas has plenty of good traits to work with and is still a growing, developing young receiver. Thomas would be best served in a vertical offense that unlocks his field-stretching ability."

His biggest knock going into the draft may be any potential medical issues. As far as what that may be, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote the following on Monday:

"Both of LSU's star receivers, Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers, have issues with their left shoulders. The risk here is considered relatively minimal—in both cases, there's a chance the player may have to have the shoulder surgically repaired after the 2024 season. Bryan Bresee, the Saints' first-round pick last year, had a similar situation with his shoulder coming into the draft last year."

That may be an issue, but it's so hard to ignore Thomas' explosiveness.

He could easily find a home in the first round.

As Brugler noted, the Jets could be a welcome spot at No. 10. New York needs to give quarterback Aaron Rodgers more weapons outside Garrett Wilson, and Thomas profiles as a natural fit. Other logical and potential landing spots include the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills.