Earl Thomas if Berry is gone?

Chiefnj2 · 01-15-2010, 01:23 PM

http://www.mockingthedraft.com/2010/...draft-scouting
5’10, 197 pounds | Safety | Texas

Agility/Hips: Shows smooth, fluid hips in his backpedal. Is a quick-twitch athlete, which would help him if a team decides to use him at cornerback. Exceptional short-area quickness. Can turn his hips

Ball Skills: Thomas has perhaps the best ball skills of any defensive back in this year’s class – Eric Berry included. Thomas is a natural with the ball in the air. He catches the ball like a wide receiver and properly carries the ball. Intercepted eight passes as a sophomore, and returned two for touchdowns.

Body Control: Great high-point agility. Times his leaps really well and reportedly has a good vertical. Maintains his balance while changing direction.
Instincts: Possesses elite recognition skills – both against the pass and sniffing out the run. When he plays back in coverage, Thomas does an excellent job of reading the quarterback’s eyes.

Pass Coverage: Thomas has the skills to be a starting cornerback in the NFL. He stays low in his backpedal and doesn’t take false steps in his break. Adept playing in zone. Has the quickness and playing intelligence to give up a cushion and breaking back on the play. Locates the ball exceptionally well, especially when it’s in the air.

Pursuit: Although Thomas gives up a good amount of size, he doesn’t mind taking on large blockers. Has flawless lateral pursuit.

Run Support: Gives a good effort supporting the run, but doesn’t have the size to always be a factor. Breaks on the ball really well. Not much more than a help player against the inside run. Doesn’t have the size to shoot through gaps in the middle and can be manhandled by guards and centers. Does a nice job of working the outside run.

Size: Listed by Texas at 5-foot-10 and 197 pounds, Thomas has average size for the position. His legs are strong throughout, so if he gets bigger he may not face a loss of quickness or speed. Where Thomas needs to get much stronger is in his upper body. He’s tight-skinned, but doesn’t have enough power to take on strong running backs in the open field.

Speed: Has very good straight-line speed to stay with receivers on deep routes. With his speed, Thomas can afford to play off tight ends which allows him to diagnose the play. Tackling: Solid contact tackler. Solid wrap-up tackler in the open space and will lower his shoulder and pop the ball carrier. In traffic and near the line of scrimmage, Thomas will sometimes become an arm tackler and miss. When he shows good technique, Thomas shows he can lower his pads and run through receivers.

Final word: Thomas had nothing short of a phenomenal season. He was second on Texas with 71 total tackles. He intercepted eight passes and totaled 16 pass breakups and 24 passes defended. Add to those numbers five tackles for a loss and you have one of the best seasons for a defensive back ever.
So when Thomas, a redshirt sophomore, announced he was entering the 2010 NFL Draft, it was no surprise. He was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive back. Several publications named him a first-team All-American and first-team All-Big-12 member.
Thomas started every game he played at Texas, 27 in total. Some might consider him as inexperienced, but Thomas has shown he has the football acumen to play at the next level. Played safety in college, but some teams might consider him a cornerback. His ball skills, agility and speed would say as much

http://www.draftboardinsider.com/cgi...ct.cgi?id=1089

Scouting Report: Thomas has a solid build, lean with a small waist and long limbs. He plays a FS at Texas but is asked to do a little of everything. And trust me, he does it all. Only a redshirt sophomore but his coverage skills are very good. He has great anticipation and does an excellent job of reading and diagnosing the making the big play on the ball. He's one of the most physical safetys in the draft, and has no qualms about sacrificing his body for a play. Some think that he's better suited to play a very physical CB in the NFL, to maximize his coverage skills, and try and keep his body in tact. The only real negatives to Thomas' game are the fact that he plays more physical than his frame will hold and it could shorten his NFL career and that he does at times play a little out of control and forgets his assignments.

Draft Status: Thomas is only a redshirt sophomore, but if the Longhorns win a national title, there's a real chance he makes the jump to the NFL. If he did, he'd be no worse than the 2nd safety off the board and probably the 3rd defensive back which means he's probably a top 15 pick. For a player so young, but so talented all that can happen at this point is to have his game get picked apart and hurt his stock. He's not going to get any bigger or any faster or any stronger, and his skills set is what it is.

Final Analysis: Love, love love what Thomas brings to the table. He reminds me a ton of Joe Haden only playing safety. He's got good size for CB, a little undersized for a safety as physical as he is. But he's got great strength both in coverage and in run support, he runs very well, is a great leaper, and has soft hands. He can blitz when asked to, and literally anchors the back 4 of the Longhorn defense. No matter what happens for the Longhorns this year, Thomas would be foolish to return to school when his stock really can't get much higher.

Reminds me of: Troy Polamalu, S Pittsburgh Steelers-Both a little undersized, super aggressive, and able to do anything on the football field. Thomas can certainly grow into the kind of impact player Polamalu is, given the right scheme and coaching. All the physical tools are there.

eazyb81 · 01-15-2010, 02:10 PM

I prefer Chad Jones but would not be upset if we went with Thomas.

This is a very deep safety draft.

Mr. Laz · 01-15-2010, 02:11 PM

If Thomas is there at our 2b or in the 3rd i'm all for grabbing him.

Thomas > Mays

**AustinChief** · 01-15-2010, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laz

If Thomas is there at our 2b or in the 3rd i'm all for grabbing him.

Thomas > Mays

Thomas won't be there for our 2a much less our 2b... He is a mid to late first rounder... 2nd or 3rd saftey taken.

Chiefnj2 · 01-15-2010, 02:21 PM

From everything I've read, if Thomas is 2" taller and 5lbs heavier - he'd be a top 5 pick.

Great Expectations · 01-15-2010, 03:18 PM

To me it seems like safties are hurt an inordinately large amount of the time. Safties like Polamalu and Sanders are relied upon heavily in run support tend to get beat up too much and miss a lot of games. It stands to reason for me to take a larger safety to try and avoid that issue.

Icon · 01-15-2010, 04:08 PM

I keep reading that this is a deep class of Safeties and that has a tendency to push quality down the board. We might be able to get a really good safety with one of our two 2nd round picks if we don't go Berry with our 1st.

Chiefnj2 · 01-15-2010, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Expectations

To me it seems like safties are hurt an inordinately large amount of the time. Safties like Polamalu and Sanders are relied upon heavily in run support tend to get beat up too much and miss a lot of games. It stands to reason for me to take a larger safety to try and avoid that issue.

Do you think there is a correlation between safety size and injuries? Or are the smaller guys just a little more scrappy and tend to get hurt because of their style?

Great Expectations · 01-15-2010, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

Do you think there is a correlation between safety size and injuries? Or are the smaller guys just a little more scrappy and tend to get hurt because of their style?

I haven't looked at it too closely. Sanders and Polamalu aren't big by NFL standards and they both throw themselves around a lot. They probably get hurt some because they aren't big enough. Their respective defenses go from very good to very mediocre very quickly when they get hurt. The Raven's D also gets mediocre pretty quick when Reed is hurt.

kepp · 01-15-2010, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

From everything I've read, if Thomas is 2" taller and 5lbs heavier - he'd be a top 5 pick.

He needs to talk to Chase Daniel about his pre-combine workouts then

Saccopoo · 01-15-2010, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

From everything I've read, if Thomas is 2" taller and 5lbs heavier - he'd be a top 5 pick.

Or you would have Robert Johnson, who had a huge season this year. He might even be around with the first pick in the fifth round. (I doubt it due to the season he had, but a lot of safeties are now in the draft and might push some of them down the list.)

ArrowheadMagic · 01-15-2010, 08:46 PM

Rather go Nate Jones or Reshad Jones, maybe even Robert Johnson from Utah in the 4th or 5th.

Mr. Laz · 01-15-2010, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinChief

Thomas won't be there for our 2a much less our 2b... He is a mid to late first rounder... 2nd or 3rd saftey taken.

maybe so ... but then i heard that about all sorts of players every year.

with all due respect, it's impossible for 50 players to go in the 1st round of the draft.

**AustinChief** · 01-15-2010, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laz

maybe so ... but then i heard that about all sorts of players every year.

with all due respect, it's impossible for 50 players to go in the 1st round of the draft.

I agree but he definitely won't make it to our 2nd 2nd rounder (barring a medical condition or awful combine).. I would be AMAZED if he made it to our 1st 2nd... I'd even be tempted to take him there even if we DID take Berry at #5... he would be that much of a steal IMHO.

Mr. Laz · 01-15-2010, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinChief

I agree but he definitely won't make it to our 2nd 2nd rounder (barring a medical condition or awful combine).. I would be AMAZED if he made it to our 1st 2nd... I'd even be tempted to take him there even if we DID take Berry at #5... he would be that much of a steal IMHO.

you very well could be correct ... it's soooo hard to predict where a player is going to go. If Thomas interviews well and catches a team's eye he could go early.

if he doesn't, no telling how far he falls

01-15-2010, 01:23 PM
Chiefnj2 In Search of a Life Join Date: Mar 2007 Casino cash: $7873688	Earl Thomas if Berry is gone? http://www.mockingthedraft.com/2010/...draft-scouting 5’10, 197 pounds \| Safety \| Texas Agility/Hips: Shows smooth, fluid hips in his backpedal. Is a quick-twitch athlete, which would help him if a team decides to use him at cornerback. Exceptional short-area quickness. Can turn his hips Ball Skills: Thomas has perhaps the best ball skills of any defensive back in this year’s class – Eric Berry included. Thomas is a natural with the ball in the air. He catches the ball like a wide receiver and properly carries the ball. Intercepted eight passes as a sophomore, and returned two for touchdowns. Body Control: Great high-point agility. Times his leaps really well and reportedly has a good vertical. Maintains his balance while changing direction. Instincts: Possesses elite recognition skills – both against the pass and sniffing out the run. When he plays back in coverage, Thomas does an excellent job of reading the quarterback’s eyes. Pass Coverage: Thomas has the skills to be a starting cornerback in the NFL. He stays low in his backpedal and doesn’t take false steps in his break. Adept playing in zone. Has the quickness and playing intelligence to give up a cushion and breaking back on the play. Locates the ball exceptionally well, especially when it’s in the air. Pursuit: Although Thomas gives up a good amount of size, he doesn’t mind taking on large blockers. Has flawless lateral pursuit. Run Support: Gives a good effort supporting the run, but doesn’t have the size to always be a factor. Breaks on the ball really well. Not much more than a help player against the inside run. Doesn’t have the size to shoot through gaps in the middle and can be manhandled by guards and centers. Does a nice job of working the outside run. Size: Listed by Texas at 5-foot-10 and 197 pounds, Thomas has average size for the position. His legs are strong throughout, so if he gets bigger he may not face a loss of quickness or speed. Where Thomas needs to get much stronger is in his upper body. He’s tight-skinned, but doesn’t have enough power to take on strong running backs in the open field. Speed: Has very good straight-line speed to stay with receivers on deep routes. With his speed, Thomas can afford to play off tight ends which allows him to diagnose the play. Tackling: Solid contact tackler. Solid wrap-up tackler in the open space and will lower his shoulder and pop the ball carrier. In traffic and near the line of scrimmage, Thomas will sometimes become an arm tackler and miss. When he shows good technique, Thomas shows he can lower his pads and run through receivers. Final word: Thomas had nothing short of a phenomenal season. He was second on Texas with 71 total tackles. He intercepted eight passes and totaled 16 pass breakups and 24 passes defended. Add to those numbers five tackles for a loss and you have one of the best seasons for a defensive back ever. So when Thomas, a redshirt sophomore, announced he was entering the 2010 NFL Draft, it was no surprise. He was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive back. Several publications named him a first-team All-American and first-team All-Big-12 member. Thomas started every game he played at Texas, 27 in total. Some might consider him as inexperienced, but Thomas has shown he has the football acumen to play at the next level. Played safety in college, but some teams might consider him a cornerback. His ball skills, agility and speed would say as much http://www.draftboardinsider.com/cgi...ct.cgi?id=1089 Scouting Report: Thomas has a solid build, lean with a small waist and long limbs. He plays a FS at Texas but is asked to do a little of everything. And trust me, he does it all. Only a redshirt sophomore but his coverage skills are very good. He has great anticipation and does an excellent job of reading and diagnosing the making the big play on the ball. He's one of the most physical safetys in the draft, and has no qualms about sacrificing his body for a play. Some think that he's better suited to play a very physical CB in the NFL, to maximize his coverage skills, and try and keep his body in tact. The only real negatives to Thomas' game are the fact that he plays more physical than his frame will hold and it could shorten his NFL career and that he does at times play a little out of control and forgets his assignments. Draft Status: Thomas is only a redshirt sophomore, but if the Longhorns win a national title, there's a real chance he makes the jump to the NFL. If he did, he'd be no worse than the 2nd safety off the board and probably the 3rd defensive back which means he's probably a top 15 pick. For a player so young, but so talented all that can happen at this point is to have his game get picked apart and hurt his stock. He's not going to get any bigger or any faster or any stronger, and his skills set is what it is. Final Analysis: Love, love love what Thomas brings to the table. He reminds me a ton of Joe Haden only playing safety. He's got good size for CB, a little undersized for a safety as physical as he is. But he's got great strength both in coverage and in run support, he runs very well, is a great leaper, and has soft hands. He can blitz when asked to, and literally anchors the back 4 of the Longhorn defense. No matter what happens for the Longhorns this year, Thomas would be foolish to return to school when his stock really can't get much higher. Reminds me of: Troy Polamalu, S Pittsburgh Steelers-Both a little undersized, super aggressive, and able to do anything on the football field. Thomas can certainly grow into the kind of impact player Polamalu is, given the right scheme and coaching. All the physical tools are there.
Posts: 22,393

01-15-2010, 02:10 PM	#2
eazyb81 The Illuminati Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: the road less traveled Casino cash: $10004900	I prefer Chad Jones but would not be upset if we went with Thomas. This is a very deep safety draft.
Posts: 12,033

01-15-2010, 02:11 PM	#3
Mr. Laz Don't Tease Me Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: KS Casino cash: $11047037	If Thomas is there at our 2b or in the 3rd i'm all for grabbing him. Thomas > Mays __________________
Posts: 95,626

01-15-2010, 02:21 PM	#5
Chiefnj2 In Search of a Life Join Date: Mar 2007 Casino cash: $7873688	From everything I've read, if Thomas is 2" taller and 5lbs heavier - he'd be a top 5 pick. __________________ Mismanaging the clock.
Posts: 22,393

01-15-2010, 03:18 PM	#6
Great Expectations MVP Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Joplin, MO Casino cash: $13642338	To me it seems like safties are hurt an inordinately large amount of the time. Safties like Polamalu and Sanders are relied upon heavily in run support tend to get beat up too much and miss a lot of games. It stands to reason for me to take a larger safety to try and avoid that issue.
Posts: 7,225

01-15-2010, 04:08 PM	#7
Icon Starter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: flyover country Casino cash: $1465100	I keep reading that this is a deep class of Safeties and that has a tendency to push quality down the board. We might be able to get a really good safety with one of our two 2nd round picks if we don't go Berry with our 1st.
Posts: 476

01-15-2010, 08:46 PM	#12
ArrowheadMagic Veteran Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: OPKS Casino cash: $8173465	Rather go Nate Jones or Reshad Jones, maybe even Robert Johnson from Utah in the 4th or 5th.
Posts: 3,851