Overview

Position: WR

College: LSU

Class: Junior

Age: 21

Measurables

Height: 6’2 7/8”

Weight: 209 lbs.

Arm length: 32 3/4″

Hand size: 9 3/4″

Athletic testing

40-yard dash: 4.33 sec.

10-yard split: 1.50 sec.

Vertical jump: 38.5″

Broad jump: 126.0″

Bench press: 11 reps

3-cone drill: N/A

Short shuttle: N/A

Strengths

Outstanding size and catch radius. Extremely fluid for a bigger wideout. Terrific weapon in scoring territory. Excellent speed and glides as a downfield route runner. Long-strider that gets on cornerbacks without losing speed. Exceptional tracking downfield passes. Great extending for the deep ball over either shoulder. Soft hands and usually catches the ball cleanly. Very smooth getting feet down along the boundary. Impressive fluidity on in-breaking routes. Will sink his hips and burst. Very good quickness and acceleration. Will give a hard vertical fake and cut quickly on slant routes. Settles as a big target underneath versus zone coverage. Quick to throttle down on hitches and curls. Outstanding feel for open space on crossing routes. Can get vertical from the slot. Able to lose his man when extending plays. Slippery and strong as a runner. Able to make the first defenders miss. Doesn’t dance and maximizes yardage. Has been used on pop passes. Tremendous overall blocker and tough to get around. Hands are in ideal position. Keeps his feet under him. Aggression in addition to technical. Sprinted downfield to block on long touchdown run by Jayden Daniels versus Florida (2023).

Weaknesses

Flashes high-point ability but can be more consistent. Had some trouble catching with defenders draped on him. Could be more aggressive attacking the ball when underthrown. Would like to see him clean up release technique versus press coverage. Will dip/turn his body rather than using strength. Knocked around some despite his size. Had difficulty separating from top Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (2023). Has shown frustration and poor body language if he doesn’t get the ball when open (particularly versus Florida State in 2023). Needs to be wary of grabbing the shoulder as a blocker.

NFL comparison

Christian Watson

Conclusion

Overall, Thomas is a dangerous deep threat with a rare combination of speed, fluidity, and size. The gliding downfield ability and effectiveness tracking the ball can make him a game-changing option in the right role for a high-powered offense.

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: WR Brian Thomas Jr.