2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Chad Thomas

2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Home Adonis Alexander, CB, Virginia Tech Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma Dorance Armstrong, DE, Kansas Marcel Ateman, WR, Oklahoma State Anthony Averett, CB, Alabama Kalen Ballage, RB, Arizona State Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State Sam Beal, CB, Western Michigan Andrew Brown, DE, Virginia Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma Taven Bryan, DT, Florida Lorenzo Carter, LB, Georgia D.J. Chark, WR, LSU Geron Christian, OT, Louisville Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia Simmie Cobbs, WR, Indiana Tyrell Crosby, OT, Oregon James Daniels, C, Iowa Sam Darnold, QB, USC Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn Duke Dawson, CB, Florida Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech Duke Ejiofor, DE, Wake Forest Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama Luke Falk, QB, Washington State Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State Rasheem Green, DT, USC Derrius Guice, RB, LSU DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Penn State Da'Shawn Hand, DE, Alabama Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama Will Hernandez, G, UTEP Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan Donte Jackson, CB, LSU Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa Derwin James, S, Florida State Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn Ronald Jones, RB, USC Arden Key, DE, LSU Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M Micah Kiser, LB, Virginia Harold Landry, DE, Boston College Darius Leonard, LB, South Carolina State Iman Marshall, CB, USC Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame Sony Michel, RB, Georgia Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland Nick Nelson, CB, Wisconsin Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado Brian O'Neill, OT, Pittsburgh Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford Billy Price, C, Ohio State Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State Justin Reid, S, Stanford Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State Jaylen Samuels, RB, N.C. State Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech Braden Smith, G, Auburn Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU Chad Thomas, DE, Miami Trenton Thompson, DT, Georgia Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State Vita Vea, DT, Washington Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson Connor Williams, OT, Texas Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia

Chad Thomas, 6-5/277 Defensive End Miami

Chad Thomas Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Flashes special talent

Fast at the point of attack

Fast around the corner

Excellent closing speed

Quick get-off

Good closing speed

Can rush from the inside

Flashes special talent

Great athletic ability

Big upside

Active hands

Has some variety in pass-rushing moves

Very quick and agile to rush by offensive tackles

Weaknesses:

Lacks instincts

Very inconsistent

Inconsistent motor

Doesn’t seem as motivated to defend the run

Has stretches where he does nothing

May not commit to a long NFL career

Summary: Every year, there are some prospects who tantalize NFL scouts with a great skill set and tons of upside, but who are also very inconsistent and have never produced up to their skill sets. They are difficult evaluations and can be love/hate prospects. Some team sources think they can get the most out of them with good pro coaching, while others think those players will never play up to their skill sets. In the 2018 NFL Draft, no player may epitomize this more than Thomas.

At Miami, Thomas would flash talent, but he never produced up to his athletic ability. Thomas had 18 tackles with a sack, four passes batted and one forced fumble in 2015. As a junior, he collected 37 tackles with 11 for a loss, four sacks and three passes broken up. In his senior year, Thomas was a leader on a Miami defense that helped the resurgent Hurricanes reach the ACC Championship, yet he still did not produce a big stat line. Thomas totaled 30 tackles with 8.5 for a loss and 3.5 sacks in 2017.

Thomas is very talented. He is fast at the point of attack, long, and twitchy, plus has natural strength with a good build. He Thomas looks like he should have dominated in college, but he never produced up to the expectations. Thomas seems to lack instincts and consistency. There were stretches when he did nothing and looked clueless. Then, there were times when he looked like a potential first-round pick and a future impact-making starter in the NFL.

Thomas has the ability to be an game-changing pass-rusher. There are times when he shows off his excellent skill set and looks like a starting defensive end with early-round potential. Thomas is fast at the point of attack. He can fly by offensive tackles and run the arc around the corner. There were times when he flat out burned tackles with speed. Along with firing around the corner, Thomas has a burst to close in an instant. He possesses very good closing speed. Thomas also has enough weight, strength and length to rush from the inside in the sub package. He has active hands and shows some variety in pass-rushing moves.

In the ground game, Thomas has the size and strength to hold his ground of the point of attack. However, he doesn’t look as motivated to defend the run as he is to hunt the quarterback.

For the NFL, Thomas could be a starting base end in a 4-3 defense or a standup outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Aside from his inconsistent and underachieving production, teams also wonder how long Thomas will want to play in the NFL as he is known as a star DJ in the Miami area with a future as a music producer. Multiple team sources say they think Thomas could be a third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.



Player Comparison: Kareem Martin. Martin and Thomas are very similar. Coming out of North Carolina, Martin had an excellent skill set with size, speed and athleticism, but he never produced up to it in college and hasn’t in the NFL either. Martin was a third-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, and Thomas could go in the same range. Martin has been a disappointing pick for Arizona.

NFL Matches: Tampa Bay, San Francisco, Oakland, Miami, Green Bay, Seattle, Detroit, Los Angeles Rams, Carolina, Tennessee, New Orleans and New England

There are a lot of teams that could target Thomas in the 2018 NFL Draft. This is a weak edge-rushing class, and that is a premium position in the NFL, so Thomas could have plenty of teams hoping to land him. With his ability to fit any scheme and be an edge rusher, Thomas will be in demand.

Tampa Bay needs to improve its edge rush. Thomas could form a tandem across from Noah Spence.

San Francisco general manager John Lynch has stated the team needs more edge-rushing talent. Thomas could finish off the 49ers’ young defensive line as a second-day pick.

Staying in the Bay area, the Raiders badly need more front-seven talent. Thomas could be an option for Oakland as an edge rusher across from Khalil Mack.

The Dolphins could consider Thomas in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, because they could use an end to go across from Charles Harris. Green Bay also could use more edge talent, and Thomas could give the Packers some size and length at outside linebacker.

Seattle could be a possibility for Thomas if the organization is able to get a second-day pick. Michael Bennett and/or Cliff Avril could be nearing the end of their time with the Seahawks. Thomas could make sense for Seattle as a long-term replacement.

The Lions need an edge pass-rusher to go across from Ziggy Ansah. Thomas would be a nice fit. Likewise the Rams could use an end across from Robert Quinn.

Carolina can’t count on Julius Peppers playing much longer, and Thomas would make sense as his understudy. The Titans also could use a young edge rusher. Their pass rush needs to be improved, and Thomas could fit as a long outside linebacker for Mike Vrabel. The Saints could use an end upgrade across from Cam Jordan. New England also needs more young talent at defensive end.

2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Home Adonis Alexander, CB, Virginia Tech Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma Dorance Armstrong, DE, Kansas Marcel Ateman, WR, Oklahoma State Anthony Averett, CB, Alabama Kalen Ballage, RB, Arizona State Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State Sam Beal, CB, Western Michigan Andrew Brown, DE, Virginia Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma Taven Bryan, DT, Florida Lorenzo Carter, LB, Georgia D.J. Chark, WR, LSU Geron Christian, OT, Louisville Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia Simmie Cobbs, WR, Indiana Tyrell Crosby, OT, Oregon James Daniels, C, Iowa Sam Darnold, QB, USC Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn Duke Dawson, CB, Florida Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech Duke Ejiofor, DE, Wake Forest Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama Luke Falk, QB, Washington State Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State Rasheem Green, DT, USC Derrius Guice, RB, LSU DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Penn State Da'Shawn Hand, DE, Alabama Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama Will Hernandez, G, UTEP Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan Donte Jackson, CB, LSU Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa Derwin James, S, Florida State Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn Ronald Jones, RB, USC Arden Key, DE, LSU Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M Micah Kiser, LB, Virginia Harold Landry, DE, Boston College Darius Leonard, LB, South Carolina State Iman Marshall, CB, USC Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame Sony Michel, RB, Georgia Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland Nick Nelson, CB, Wisconsin Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado Brian O'Neill, OT, Pittsburgh Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford Billy Price, C, Ohio State Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State Justin Reid, S, Stanford Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State Jaylen Samuels, RB, N.C. State Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech Braden Smith, G, Auburn Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU Chad Thomas, DE, Miami Trenton Thompson, DT, Georgia Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State Vita Vea, DT, Washington Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson Connor Williams, OT, Texas Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia

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