Anatomy of a prospect: Arizona WR Mike Thomas

[cowboyjoe]

Dont misunderstand me, I like the guy, but he sure is short, what are your thoughts?

Anatomy of a prospect: Arizona WR Mike Thomas
3:00 PM Sat, Apr 18, 2009 | Permalink
Rick Gosselin E-mail News tips

Take one look at Mike Thomas and you see a commodity the NFL does not want -- a 5-7 1/2 wide receiver. Big people play at the next level and big people survive.

But the more you look at Thomas, the more you like him -- which is why he's going to turn up in this draft in the middle rounds. What he lacks in size, he makes up in speed. Thomas ran a 4.30 40-yard dash for the NFL at the combine. That showed the NFL he certainly has the speed to play at the next level. Thomas also launched a vertical jump of 40 1/2 inches, so he has the athletic ability to play at the next level as well.

I saved the best for last -- watch tape of what Thomas does with the football in his hands. He was a two-time All-Pac 10 selection as a wide receiver. He leaves Arizona as the Pac 10's all-time leading receiver with 259 receptions. He also was a two-time All-Pac 10 choice as a kick returner and leaves campus with career averages of 23.5 yards on kickoffs and 13 yards on punts. He scored 28 career touchdowns -- 23 on receptions, two on runs and two on kickoff returns.

With the NFL moving more and more toward the pass and the influx of three- and four-receiver sets, Thomas pencils in as an elite slot receiver. Think Steve Smith.

 

[BAT]

He may be short, but you can't deny his production. Nor his speed.

 

[cowboyjoe]

He may be short, but you can't deny his production. Nor his speed.

true thats sevreral things you shouldnt overlook in drafting a persons speed or heart.

 

[BAT]

true thats sevreral things you shouldnt overlook in drafting a persons speed or heart.

This kid's got loads of both.

 

[masomenos]

Am I the only one who thinks the title "Anatomy of a Prospect" is funny?

 

[cowboyjoe]

Am I the only one who thinks the title "Anatomy of a Prospect" is funny?

i thought it was a good read, thats why i posted it;

i know a couple in here like mike thomas, and like i said i like him too, just like johnny knox alittle better;

 

[masomenos]

i thought it was a good read, thats why i posted it;

i know a couple in here like mike thomas, and like i said i like him too, just like johnny knox alittle better;

Oh no, I'm not saying anything bad about the article, I've liked reading all of them. I just chuckle every time I see the word anatomy, especially when it's referring to something like the draft, which is all about "measurables". I mean, when you're studying the anatomy of a guy who has performed in the "underwear Olympics"...it just makes me laugh.

As to Mike Thomas, I like him and I think that he'll be a good pro player. I used to have a formula for grading WR prospects and even without crunching the number, I know that he would have graded out highly on my scale. I would have added a flag to the grade because of his height but he has good mass for his size, so I'm not too concerned.

I think that Knox is a better prospect, not by a lot, but I think that Thomas has a better shot of actually panning out, so I like him a bit more.

 

[cowboyjoe]

Oh no, I'm not saying anything bad about the article, I've liked reading all of them. I just chuckle every time I see the word anatomy, especially when it's referring to something like the draft, which is all about "measurables". I mean, when you're studying the anatomy of a guy who has performed in the "underwear Olympics"...it just makes me laugh.

As to Mike Thomas, I like him and I think that he'll be a good pro player. I used to have a formula for grading WR prospects and even without crunching the number, I know that he would have graded out highly on my scale. I would have added a flag to the grade because of his height but he has good mass for his size, so I'm not too concerned.

I think that Knox is a better prospect, not by a lot, but I think that Thomas has a better shot of actually panning out, so I like him a bit more.

cool and some good thoughts;