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2017 NFL Draft: Stanford Solomon Thomas Scouting Report

By Jon Dove

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Stanford’s Solomon Thomas is a disruptive defensive line prospect who figures to come off the board early during the 2017 NFL Draft.

Solomon Thomas is a versatile defensive line prospect who can play multiple positions. He features the quickness needed to penetrate the pocket and the natural strength to hold at the point of attack. However, it’s his ability to make plays behind the line of scrimmage that makes him special.

Thomas uses his explosive first step and snap awareness to work his way into the backfield. He also features a powerful punch and the arm length needed to create space. Thomas routinely gains inside hands and uses his upper-body strength to extend his arms.

His proper hand placement and natural power allow him to quickly disengage. Thomas is someone that can make plays away from his frame and does a great job pursing down the line of scrimmage.

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While Stanford rotates him across the defensive line, his best position in the NFL will be at defensive end in either a 3-4 or 4-3 alignment. He’ll be able to move inside in passing situations where he can rush the passer and create mismatches.

Thomas is deceptively quick and has the lateral wiggle to slip past the blocker. He also features the closing burst needed to get home and register the sack. This is someone who’ll be able to come in and make an immediate impact.

The one area where he needs some work is the consistency of his anchor. There are times where he gives up leverage and fails to hold at the point of attack. This results in him getting driven several yard down field.

His anchor issues are something that can easily be corrected with time and better pad consistency. The fact is that Thomas is still growing as a player and person. He’ll benefit from the increased strength and conditioning focus at the next level.

Overall, Thomas is a disruptive force who’ll make game changing plays on a consistent basis. His best fit might be as a 5-technique, but has the traits to fill multiple roles.

Current Draft Range: Mid-1st Round

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