Phillip Thomas, S, Fresno State
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 215 lbs
Positives
– Can play either safety position
– Good run defender
– Very good tackler in open field
– Looks for big hit at right time
– Always seems to be around the ball
– Excellent special teams player
– Smooth hips
Negatives
– Big hitter and sometimes draws flags
– Suffered a broken leg & a dislocated ankle just prior to junior season
– Speed isn’t a huge concern but it is a question
– Sometimes overly aggressive in pursuit taking poor angles
Summary
During his senior season Phillip Thomas made a strong case to be the first safety taken in the 2013 NFL Draft. Thomas shows the ability to play both safety positions but May be best suited to play closer to the line of scrimmage in the NFL due to his solid play vs the run. When lining up at free safety Thomas becomes a big hit threat to opposing WR’s all over the field but is overly aggressive on play action passes and is drawn out of position. I have questions concerning Thomas’ tendency to take bad angles when lining up at free safety as well as his speed. If he has a good performance at the combine and runs in the 4.5 range, He could be the first safety drafted.
Comparison: Mark Barron
Like Barron, Phillip Thomas is a strong run defender but sometimes gets lost vs deeper passing plays. If Mark Barron can go inside the top ten, I see no reason why Thomas can’t go first round depending on how he performs at the combine.
Comments are closed.