04-28-2013, 08:15 AM
Some guesses for the reasons Chase Thomas went undrafted:
Lack of size
After being under the impression Thomas was 6-4 and 250, he measured in at 6-3 237.Â
Not explosive, quick, or nimble enough
The combine and Stanford's Pro Day were unkind to Thomas. They exposed his lack of athleticism in a very sobering way.
Limited Senior Year Production
Thomas only had six sacks and 12 TFLs on the year. That's evidence that his lack of production is due to his lack of explosiveness, quickness, nimbleness, and size.
Scouts and GMs can overlook guys who don't show well in combine drills if they demonstrate they can produce on the field. Had Thomas registered say 10 sacks and had 20 TFLs, that might be overlooked.Â
I was stunned how after the combine Mike Mayock had Thomas rated as his #2 4-3 OLB. Just didn't make sense to me. What it said was Thomas isn't big enough to play 3-4 OLB in the NFL, but that Mayock still liked him as a football player. People paid to actually draft players for their teams disagreed, and concluded he just isn't an NFL athlete. That said, he's going to be given a chance to prove he can play at the next level. To me he is a good football player, but I question what his position is. If he could add 20 pounds, perhaps he could play 3-4 OLB, but under no circumstances do I see him as a starting LB in a 4-3 scheme because he just isn't fast enough.
Next year, Trent Murphy will be drafted, and probably within the first two days if he has a big Senior season. He was way better than Thomas as a Junior. At 6-6 and 260, he has NFL 3-4 OLB size, and his mobility is impressive.
Lack of size
After being under the impression Thomas was 6-4 and 250, he measured in at 6-3 237.Â
Not explosive, quick, or nimble enough
The combine and Stanford's Pro Day were unkind to Thomas. They exposed his lack of athleticism in a very sobering way.
Limited Senior Year Production
Thomas only had six sacks and 12 TFLs on the year. That's evidence that his lack of production is due to his lack of explosiveness, quickness, nimbleness, and size.
Scouts and GMs can overlook guys who don't show well in combine drills if they demonstrate they can produce on the field. Had Thomas registered say 10 sacks and had 20 TFLs, that might be overlooked.Â
I was stunned how after the combine Mike Mayock had Thomas rated as his #2 4-3 OLB. Just didn't make sense to me. What it said was Thomas isn't big enough to play 3-4 OLB in the NFL, but that Mayock still liked him as a football player. People paid to actually draft players for their teams disagreed, and concluded he just isn't an NFL athlete. That said, he's going to be given a chance to prove he can play at the next level. To me he is a good football player, but I question what his position is. If he could add 20 pounds, perhaps he could play 3-4 OLB, but under no circumstances do I see him as a starting LB in a 4-3 scheme because he just isn't fast enough.
Next year, Trent Murphy will be drafted, and probably within the first two days if he has a big Senior season. He was way better than Thomas as a Junior. At 6-6 and 260, he has NFL 3-4 OLB size, and his mobility is impressive.