Prospect: Solomon Thomas, Stanford
Comparison: Everson Griffin, Minnesota Vikings
Solomon Thomas has been one of the fastest rising prospects in the 2017 NFL Draft. His performance against North Carolina in his bowl game forced evaluators to take a closer look. The more anyone watches of Thomas the more they appreciate his game.
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He’s a sneaky explosive athlete who uses his quick first step and power to generate pressure on the quarterback. Thomas is a well rounded player who also plays the run with integrity. His ability to impat the game in multiple ways compares favorable to Everson Griffin.
Griffin entered the NFL as a mid-round pick based on the fact he was more projection than production. However, he quickly started to show that his development would be quicker than most realized. By his 3rd year in the league he registered 8 sacks.
He has gone on to tally two double-digit sack seasons and continue to play a well-rounded game.
Thomas won’t have the luxury of taking three years to make a major impact. It looks like a slam dunk that he’ll be a top-10 pick and expected to immediately produce. He’ll also be expected to routinely produce double-digit sack seasons.