Michael Thomas - WR, Ohio State

Position: Wide Receiver

Height: 6'3"
Weight: 210
Year: Senior
Hometown: Las Angeles, California
Experience: RsJr. - 2 year starter

Measurables:

40yd dash: 4.57 Seconds
Broad jump: 126.0 Inches
Vertical: 35.0 Inches
3-cone: 6.8 Seconds
20yd. Shuttle: 4.13 Seconds
Bench Press: 18 Reps

Career Notes:

The Ohio State Buckeyes have a plethora of talent entering the 2016 NFL Draft.  Among them is Michael Thomas, the most productive wide receiver for the Buckeyes over the past two seasons.  Michael Thomas's path to a possible first round pick has been a decorated and tedious journey.  He was not heavily recruited out of high school and spent a year at Fork Union Military Academy in 2011 to refine his play.  In 2012, Thomas joined Ohio State and saw limited action his freshman season.  Coach Urban Meyer then decided to redshirt Thomas due to his difficulty learning the playbook in his second year.

The quarterback situation for Ohio State was a revolving door over the past two seasons with Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett, and Cardale Jones all bringing different skill sets to the offense.  The big and fast Thomas was the go-to target when Jones was in the lineup.  Miller and Barrett are mobile spread quarterbacks whereas Jones was more prototypical.  In his final two seasons Thomas put up very respectable numbers: 110 receptions, 1580 yards, and 18 touchdowns in 28 straight games.  If Thomas was given consistency at the quarterback position for an entire season, his production would almost certainly skyrocket.

Michael Thomas is incredibly polished for a man of his height and speed.  Although he struggled at times with schoolwork and learning the playbook in college, Thomas brings a unique combination of skills on the field.  Thomas might want to add some weight to his slender 6'3'' frame to play at the next level, but he has the potential to be a great possession receiver in the NFL.  Thomas's ceiling is very high but he didn't play in a prototypical offense at Ohio State so he enters the draft with a steep learning curve.    

Injury Report: 

Thomas hasn't missed a game since breaking the starting lineup, finishing the last 28 games after his redshirt sophomore campaign. 

Career Stats:

For a full breakdown of Michael Thompson's career stats follow the link below:
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/michael-thomas-3.html

Analysis:

Speed/Quickness: 4.0/5.0: Ohio State's tunnel screen offense did not completely utilize Thomas's speed.  He was rarely asked to take the top off of defenses although he was often quicker than his opposition.  Thomas struggles to separate from defenders downfield but his speed with the ball in his hands in noteworthy.  Thomas constantly makes quick moves to turn cornerbacks, although sometimes it throws off his own timing.  He is elusive with the ball in his hands, making decisive moves to turn upfield.  He moves very well for a man his size. 

Route Running: 2.5./5.0:  Thomas's route running abilities are still an enigma.  He wasn't asked to cover an extensive route tree at Ohio State.  Several routes specifically drawn up for Thomas were executed very well, though.  He is very efficient as a red zone target, showing great awareness and positioning on fade routes and quick slants.  He has impressive awareness for the sidelines and uses his quick feet to elude defenders and gain an open window.  He uses quick steps to shake defenders rather than physical prowess and can get bullied at the line of scrimmage.  Thomas will need to refine his technique and learn a multitude of routes in order to compete in the NFL.

Hands: 4.0/5.0: Thomas targets the ball well, knowing when to jump and extend to make the catch.  He capitalizes on short routes that allow him to look for the ball quickly.  He has strong hands and fights for the ball well in 50/50 situations.  He creates good positioning and knows when to attack the football.  He can struggle against more physical cornerbacks when targeted in traffic. 

YAC Ability: 4.5/5.0: Michael Thomas has explosion with the ball in his hands.  He has north-south running ability, getting up the field quickly and making defenders miss on the way.  If he eludes the first defender, Thomas can turn short passes into game-breaking plays.  Thomas isn't fearful of contact in space either.  He constantly fights for extra yardage and splits defenders well.

Blocking: 1.0/5.0:  Thomas has decent enough size to disrupt defenders but he is not a very willing blocker.  He quickly engages defenders but gives up too easily.  He will need to bulk up to fend be a factor against physical NFL cornerbacks.   He has a strong upper body but doesn't attain good positioning when blocking. 

Summary: Michael Thomas has a rare combination of size, speed, and natural fluid ability for the wide receiver position.  At 6'3'' Thomas plays at a speed faster than the smaller defenders.  He has quick feet and the ability to make long strides downfield.  He needs to be more aggressive as a blocker and a physical presence.  His speed is enough to separate him from defensive backs at the next level, but he will need to learn more route concepts to find the open spaces in the NFL.

Overall Grade: 3.75/5.0  

If drafted by the Packers:

Head Coach Mike McCarthy noted that a large physical receiving threat was missing from the potent offense that led to the Packers win in Superbowl XLV.  The loss of Jordy Nelson in 2015 left the Packers with one receiver over 6'1'' and Jeff Janis, 6'3'', was underutilized throughout the year.  The Packers haven't had a receiver that can stretch the middle of the field since Jermichael Finley.  Davante Adams, Jeff Janis, and Jared Abbrederis will currently be the receivers in contention to man the X receiver opposite of Jordy Nelson.  If the Packers don't feel confident enough in one of these players to man the starting lineup, Ted Thompson may look for a large quick receiver like Thomas early in the draft. 

Michael Thompson would immediately upgrade the athletic ability of the Packers receiving corps.  He has the after-the-catch ability that Ted Thompson covets in his receivers.  Mike McCarthy's West Coast offense would utilize Thompson's quickness and YAC ability.  He has the size and leaping ability that Green Bay has been missing the past several years.  Before the 2015 season of injuries, the Packers were one of the premier teams at developing receiving talent.  McCarthy could unlock Thompson's potential and teach him the nuances of the position.  Thompson will need to become a better run blocker for the receiver screens in McCarthy's offense.

Ted Thompson would most likely have to use his first round pick on Michael Thompson.  The Packer's General Manager has not shied away from taking receivers early in the draft, with Nelson, Adams, and Randall Cobb all drafted in the second round of their respective drafts.  Unless the Packers have truly lost faith in some of their young receivers, Thompson should target a larger position of need such as tight end or defensive tackle with his first round pick. 

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