2010 Draft: Prospect Watch- GT’s Demaryius Thomas

Prospect: Demaryius Thomas

Position: Wide Receiver

College: Georgia Tech

Height: 6′3″

Weight: 230 lbs

40 Time: 4.38 seconds

Positives:

• Excellent blocker. Thomas can take defensive backs completely out of the play.
• Great speed. He has outrun some very fast ACC defensive backs in college.
• Can out jump most defensive backs. Thomas times his jumps well and catches the pass at the highest point.
• Has very long strides and can reach his top speed very quickly.
• Rarely drops passes.
• Big, solid frame.  His size reminds me of a smaller tight end. Strong enough to get separation from NFL defenders
• Tough to tackle and great at getting yards after the catch.
• Good work ethic.

Negatives:

• Played in an option offense at Georgia Tech.
• Poor route runner. Thomas is known to round off his cuts and take too many steps while turning.
• Struggles to get separation on shorter routes.
• Very raw
• Recently broke his foot, but seems to be recovering well from it.

Thomas and the Jets: Many people consider a wide receiver to be the Jets biggest need going into the 2010 draft. Thomas is a big, physical target that would definitely help Mark Sanchez and the Jets offense. Thomas is very raw and probably would take a few years to reach his potential, but he should be able to contribute right away in a smaller role. The biggest problem I see with Thomas is that the Jets really need an effective slot receiver in their offense. Right now, Thomas is a poor route runner so he most likely would not be a great slot WR. If the Jets draft him, maybe Jericho Cotchery would move into the slot and Thomas would take over the number 2 WR position. Thomas is projected to be taken in the late 1st to early 2nd round, so he should be on the board when the Jets are on the clock in April.

Tags: 2010 draft, Demaryius Thomas