2023 NFL Draft Player Profiles: North Carolina State LB Drake Thomas – Steelers Depot

From now till the 2023 NFL Draft, we’ll scout and create profiles for as many prospects as potential, analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, and what they will deliver to an NFL franchise. These gamers might be potential top-10 picks, all the way in which all the way down to Day 3 picks and precedence undrafted free brokers. In the present day, I’ll be profiling North Carolina State linebacker Drake Thomas.

#32 Drake Thomas (Senior) — 5112, 228 LBs.

East-West Shrine Bowl participant

Measurements

The Good

-Uber-productive linebacker with above-average diagnostic expertise, particularly towards the run
-Very aggressive defender who is continually across the soccer
-Constant, efficient blitzer with motor that runs scorching to chase down performs
-Performs with an actual chip on his shoulder and units emotional tone defensively
-Flashed capacity to slide blocks towards run to sort out gamers close to/behind line of scrimmage all through profession
-Showcased robust ball expertise for the place

The Dangerous

-Undersized linebacker with maxed-out body
-Lack of size noticeable when taking up blockers
-Exhibits inconsistency in pursuit angles, can take himself out of performs being overaggressive
-Labors a bit to alter instructions
-Very restricted in protection general, is way more snug working downhill than dropping into area
-Extra high-effort producer than high-end talent units

Bio

-Performed in 47 profession video games at North Carolina State, beginning 38
-Named First-team All-ACC performer in 2021; Second-team All-ACC performer in 2022
-Voted staff captain in 2021 and 2022 for the Wolfpack
-Completed profession with 293 tackles, 46.0 tackles for loss, 19.0 sacks, 13 passes defensed and 4 interceptions
-Turned down the likes of Alabama, Michigan, and Ivy League colleges to attend NC State together with his brother, Thayer, who can also be draft eligible this 12 months
-Earned the staff’s Invoice Cowher Award for high linebacker and the Mario Williams Award for Defensive MVP in 2021 as a junior
-Turned 23 years outdated on February 25

Tape Breakdown

Manufacturing on the collegiate degree doesn’t all the time imply a participant goes to be a hit within the NFL, nevertheless it’s onerous to miss what North Carolina State linebacker Drake Thomas put up for the Wolfpack over 4 seasons.

In 47 profession video games (38 begins) Thomas recorded 293 tackles, 46.0 tackles for loss and 19.0 sacks as an off-ball linebacker. Fairly exceptional stuff, particularly on paper.

The tape tells a barely totally different story with Thomas although.

He’s a bit undersized and produced a lot primarily based on excessive effort and a motor that merely by no means stopped, fairly than having any type of eye-opening traits.

That stated, he confirmed the flexibility to course of very, in a short time, particularly towards the run.

He does an excellent job right here towards Louisville final season studying the run shortly and attending to the road of scrimmage simply after the snap. As soon as there, he trusts his eyes, which take him proper to the soccer for the large TFL. Probably the most intriguing factor about Thomas is his capacity to diagnose working downhill towards the run, trusting his eyes to take him to the soccer.

He’s very not often fooled and is often in the correct place on the proper time.

Thomas is an aggressive linebacker who actually has few hesitations in his recreation. When he sees issues, he clicks and closes in a rush, not often lacking tackles.

Great things right here towards Wake Forest in 2022. He sees the lane open up between the tackles, permitting him to fireside downhill like a heat-seeking missile for the TFL.

That’s what he brings to the desk as a run defender.

Whereas Thomas actually has main questions on his dimension and size (simply 29 5/8″ arms), he confirmed the flexibility to slide blocks all through his North Carolina State profession.

Right here, within the dwelling opener towards UConn final season, Thomas did an awesome job of lowering his play-side goal to the blocker, slipping beneath the tight finish’s block to make the cease on the line of scrimmage. Typically slipping a block in area could be a large no-no, however Thomas performed this very effectively and by no means gave up his hole integrity.

Regardless of being on the smaller facet for the place, Thomas performed with actual pressure all through his profession. He’s going to strike you each probability he will get, and he’s going to let you understand about it.

That chip on his shoulder is an absolute boulder by now, one which he embraces. He is aware of he’s small, however that’s not going to trigger him to hesitate or suppose twice when hanging a blocker proper within the mouth.

Nice rep right here in 2021 towards Louisville, completely operating the blocker over on the zone-run play, knocking the lineman into the operating again’s legs for the TFL. You don’t see that always.

The place Thomas can have the biggest influence although is as a blitzer. The person is relentless, preventing tooth and nail to get to the quarterback.

He has a restricted cross rush arsenal, relying totally on his motor to make performs as a blitzer. He has flashed a really strong dip and rip transfer, and a swim transfer, very similar to he did right here towards Miami (FL) in 2021 for the sack.

His capacity to hurry the passer saved Thomas on the sphere for all three downs all through his profession at North Carolina State. That might be the case within the NFL, ought to he land in a state of affairs through which he’s in a position to work his means into the beginning lineup.

Conclusion

The manufacturing actually speaks volumes for Thomas and does the off-field stuff that led to his being named a staff captain for 2 straight years. He’s a tough employee, one who is aware of the playbook inside and outside, is aware of what guys are presupposed to be doing round him, and is continually making performs in huge spot.

He’s a menace across the line of scrimmage towards the run and as a blitzer, a man quarterbacks needed to know the place he was lined up on each snap when on the sphere.

Nonetheless, the scale considerations and lack of explosive lengthy velocity general may trigger main limitations within the NFL. Thomas has the makings of a high-end special-teams piece who might be a special-teams captain within the NFL for a very long time. However projecting him to be something greater than that seems like a stretch. He jogs my memory loads of Oklahoma’s Eric Striker, a man who is sweet towards the run, confirmed the flexibility to hurry the passer and transfer round in school. Striker was in the end too small and too sluggish to have a constant position defensively within the NFL.

Projection: Late Day 3 (seventh Spherical)

Depot Draft Grade: 6.4 Finish of Roster/Observe Squad

Video games Watched: Furman (2021), at Miami (Fl.) (2021), Louisville (2021), at Wake Forest (2021), Syracuse (2021), UConn (2022), Wake Forest (2022), Virginia Tech (2022), Louisville (2022)