Career Recap: Thomas has been an impact defender for the Cardinal since his freshman season. He started his career in 2009 as a defensive end and made eight starts at the position. The freshman had 36 tackles and four sacks. Thomas was moved to outside linebacker in 2010 in Stanford’s 3-4 defense, and that position…

Strengths: Consistently gets separation Route-running Quickness Sudden out of his breaks Beats defensive backs for contested catches Quick feet Can work as a possession receiver Has some strength Makes plays downfield Good body control to make tough sideline catches Adept at finding soft spots in zone Effective operating in all levels of the defense Third-down…

Strengths: Elite run-blocker Absolute road grader, and devastating on the ground Tremendous short-area quickness Great at hitting blocks on the second level Excellent pass-protector Mirrors speed-rushers Anchors well Stonewalls bull rushes Powerful drive-blocker Great at pulling Intelligent Great technique with hand placement Textbook knee bend Rock-solid pass-protector Winner at collegiate level Excellent in short yardage…

Strengths: Natural pass-rush ability Phenomenal in pursuit Repertoire of pass-rushing moves Enough speed to get around the corner Decent bull rush Ability to shed blocks Active hands Agility to sink his hips/shoulders Splash plays Fantastic motor, goes balls to the wall for 60 minutes Plays with good pad level Does well as a pass-rushing defensive…

Strengths: Elite athleticism Explosive speed Extremely fluid Phenomenal playing in space Dangerous pass-rusher Extremely fast rushing off the edge Excellent ability to drop in coverage Very fast Quick twitch; sudden athlete Good tackler Excellent in pursuit Closes quickly Great length Frame to get bigger Has some ball-skills in pass coverage Intelligent; can learn multiple positions…

Strengths: Road-grading run-blocker Very powerful Ability to sustain blocks Extremely physical Has a mean streak Bullies defenders Raises his level of play in big games Athletic Has good length Has some quickness to the second level Perfect for a man-blocking scheme Lots of experience against first-round talents Fiery leader Weaknesses: Poor pass-blocking technique Heavy feet…

Strengths: Man-coverage ability Ability to run with receivers in their routes Rarely allows separation Good cover skills Cover-corner ability Change of direction skills Quick feet Good speed Comfortable with ball in the air Great hip flexibility to turn and run Plays well in zone Good size Recoverability Gritty; physical with receivers Confident; has the man-corner…

Strengths: Very strong Physical Excellent hands Superb run-blocker Big target Attacks the middle seam Leaping ability Good route-running Red-zone weapon Asset in short-yardage, goal-line situations Tough to bring down Strong drive-blocker Dangerous seam tight end Weaknesses: Fast enough for the NFL? A Big Ten plodder? Should slim down Lacks good speed May not be a…

Strengths: Elite pass-protector Very reliable Mirrors well with speed-rushers Quick feet Great length Knee bend Fast in his drop Very advanced technique Mobility to hit blocks on the perimeter Gets to blocks on the second level Can anchor against bull rushes Fabulous recoverability Should be a technician in the NFL Flexible to play zone-blocking or…

Strengths: Hard hitter Tackling ability Run defense Physical presence Can separate the ball from the receiver Experienced Durable Quickness Ready to compete quickly Weaknesses: Liability in pass coverage Constantly burned in 2012 Can take bad angles Takes false steps Stiff; struggles to turn and run with receivers Sometimes he doesn’t wrap up Overly aggressive; penalties…