Feb
17
2010
 |
Earl Thomas
|
Non-position specific categories
Category |
Max. Value |
Grade |
| Height/Weight | 6 | 4.5 |
| Speed | 8 | 7 |
| Quickness/Agility | 10 | 9 |
| Strength/Explosion | 10 | 8 |
| Athletic Ability | 8 | 8 |
| Durability | 8 | 8 |
| Character | 6 | 6 |
| Production/Experience | 6 | 5 |
| Toughness | 8 | 8 |
| Potential | 10 | 9.5 |
Defensive Back Specific Categories
Category |
Max. Value |
Grade |
| Ball Skills | 10 | 9 |
| Man Coverage | 10 | 9 |
| Zone Coverage | 10 | 9.5 |
| Tackling | 6 | 4 |
| Run Stopping | 6 | 4 |
| Hips/Lateral Movement | 8 | 7.5 |
| Physicality | 6 | 5 |
Strengths
Reacts quickly to the ball once it’s in the air or on the ground. Reads the quarterback’s eyes while in coverage and has a knack for jumping routes. Anticipates when a receiver is about to make their breaks showing good instincts and stays tight in coverage. Excels in both man and zone coverage. Very quick player with great range. A true ball hawking safety. Excellent foot work. Flips hips and runs with ease. Good body control. Ball skills are outstanding. Shows good hands when he has the chance. Doesn’t shy away from contact at any time. Not afraid to use his body to break up a pass or put a big hit on a receiver. A willing tackler.
Weaknesses
Run support is not his strong suit. Can take poor angles on a ball carrier and often arm tackles. Will also go for a big hit rather than wrap up. Strength is questionable. Unable to get off blockers effectively and relies on his quickness to get to the ball. Doesn’t have ideal size for a safety and may be asked to transition to cornerback.
Analysis
Thomas is a true ball hawking safety. While he’s not overly effective in run support, he is a willing tackler and can at least slow down the ball carrier. Thomas has great range and uses his quickness to his advantage, almost tricking the quarterback into thinking a receiver is open, only to close to on the ball and make the play. Thomas has tremendous upside as a cover safety and potentially a cornerback at the next level due to his abilities in coverage. Thomas was moved all around the field in different coverage schemes for Texas and plays well in both zone and man coverage. He does a nice job assisting the corners with over the top coverage and breaks on the ball very well. Thomas doesn’t have ideal size but uses his skill set effectively. A leader on and off the field, Thomas is active in his church and participated in rebuilding projects following Hurricane Katrina.
Experience
Thomas is a two year starter at safety and has seen significant playing time on special teams.
Awards and Honors
2009: Finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. First-team All-America by the American Footbal Coaches Association, The Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America and Walter Camp Football Foundation. Second-team All-America selection by Sporting News. Unanimous first-team All-Big 12 selection. Twice named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.
2008: First-team Freshman All-America by the Football Writers Association of America, College Football News and The Sporting News. Honorable mention All-Big 12 by The Associated Press and the league’s coaches
Academics
Education major at Texas.
Bloodlines
Thomas’ uncle, Anthony Thomas, was a linebacker at Stephen F. Austin (1997-1999)
Injuries
No injury history.
| Year | Tack | Solo | Asst | Sack | FF | Int | TD |
| 2009 | 63 | 44 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
| 2008 | 71 | 52 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
Highlight/Lowlight Video – from our friends at Pro Draft Party
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRrjr5HG_ck
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Will Spencer
Will is the founder and President of Draft Breakdown & has been scouting draft prospects since 2002. His work has been featured in numerous publications, including the USA Today Draft Preview Magazine, the official website of the Baltimore Ravens, Ravens Insider and The Orange and Brown Report. Will has previous playing experience as a defensive end in the AFA, is currently a member of the Football Writers Association of America and graduated from the SMWW Football Scouting course in 2009.
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As a Texas fan, I think most of the analysis is spot-on. However, I have a question about the relatively low character ranking. I understand that it’s a somewhat nebulous category, but I’m not sure why Thomas wouldn’t rank more highly here — he never got in trouble while at Texas and there were never even any rumblings about his having a poor attitude. He doesn’t come from the best circumstances, but he endured having his family displaced by a hurricane and made the most of it to turn himself into a highly-regarded collegiate player. Just wondering that.
wondering *about* that.
Thomas has a 6 out of 6 for character. Not all categories are out of 10. The character category only has a maximum of 6 points, which he received.