Prospect Watch: Demaryius Thomas

via nflmocks.com

Demaryius Thomas – Georgia Tech

 Scout: David Syvertsen

 Height/Weight: 6’3 – 230

40 Time:

Pro Potential: Andre Johnson – Houston Texans

 Acceleration/Burst/Quickness: Has long, powerful strides that can get him to top speed in a blink. Does not look explosive because of his long strides but he can get going with the best of them. Lacks short area quickness, struggles when he has to shorten his strides.

Agility/Leaping Ability: Well balanced athlete with strong hips. Does not make the last second short area movement to avoid hits however. Can out leap most if not all defensive backs. Gathers himself and times the leaps well to snatch the ball at the apex of his jump. Blocking: Top tier blocker. Comes from an offensive system that had him making important blocks countless times week in and week out. Completely takes defensive backs out of a play, very strong from head to toe. Uses proper technique with knee bend and straight arms. Gives good effort and enjoys the physical part of the game.

Body Control/Adjustment: Very balanced that can adjust left, right, and upward very well. Struggles when going down to the ground while trying to make a catch. Was often sent downfield and had the quarterback simply throw it up and Thomas consistently adjusted his body position to make the tough catch.

Concentration/Hands: Rarely drops a ball within his reach, but does have the occasional lapse in concentration when nobody is around him. Has enormous, strong hands that easily control the football. A pure hands catcher, rarely lets it get into his body.

Release: Is more than physical/strong enough to toss away a corner in press coverage. Just needs more experience and work on technique to properly get in to his route against press coverage. Rarely saw it in college because he is too physical for most if not all collegiate corners.

Route Running: Very green as a route runner. Ran an extremely limited tree at Georgia Tech because of the simple scheme. Rounds his cuts and takes too many steps when he need to make a 90 degree or 180 degree turn. Needs a lot of work in this area.

Separation: Does not consistently get the separation underneath. The further downfield he gets, the more separation he obtains. However because he is a long strider, his shorter routes do not get the necessary separation.

Size/Length/Hand Size: Has the body of a small tight end. Enormous frame with a lot of weel evedloped muscle. Long arms and enormous hands. Makes the football like tiny when he is carrying it.

Speed: Has showed elite speed in the open field. Has run away from some fast defensive backs in the ACC. Appears slower than he is because of the length of his strides.

Vision/Run After the Catch: A weapon in the screen game. Very tough to tackle because of his size and power in his legs. More of a straight line runner than a guy that has the wiggle to make guys miss.

Final Word: In a scheme where the run comes first, second, and third, the ability of Thomas was not put on full display over the past few years. If he had been playing in an NFL pro set offense, Thomas could be the most sought after receiver in this class. But because of his lack of experience running the full route tree and reading coverages, he is going to enter the league as a raw talent that needs a lot of coaching. The ceiling with this player is just as high as any receiver in this class, yet he will likely be available in the second round. Considering his strong work ethic and love for all aspects of the game, one has to believe that Thomas is going to mold himself in to a top flight receiver in the NFL. Once he learns the little details surrounding technique, he is going to be a legit number one receiver that can do it all.

newerascouting.com

I would love it if the Bengals could draft this guy in the 2nd round. Thomas is a deep threat that will go up and get the ball for Carson Palmer. With some coaching, he could turn into a #1 WR. Heres the catch, I believe Thomas will end up being the 3rd WR drafted in april. So we may have to take him at 21, and I'm ok with that. I really think this guy is a stud. I have been wrong before, but this guy really sticks out to me. Ive had this feeling about draft prospects before, and its worked out.