The NFL combine is in the books, and a number of players helped their stocks tremendously in Indianapolis this weekend.
However, there was perhaps no player in the class who did more to boost his profile than [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] Despite a 6-foot-3, 209-pound frame, he recorded the second-fastest 40-yard dash time from a receiver at 4.33 seconds, and he posted the 10th-best Relative Athletic Score for a receiver in the history of the combine, which also marked the best score for an LSU player at any position.
Thomas has long been considered a mid-late first-round prospect, but now, he could push into the top 10. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. listed him among the 10 biggest risers from the combine.
Yes, Worthy set the combine record with a 4.21-second 40-yard dash, and his 10-yard split came in at 1.49 seconds. Thomas ran a little bit slower — 4.33, which ranked second among the receivers in Indy — but his 10-yard split was barely behind Worthy, at 1.50 seconds. And Thomas did that four inches taller and 44 pounds heavier than Worthy.
I write all that to say that Thomas’ overall workout was extremely impressive, backing up his spot in my pre-combine Big Board (No. 11 overall). And even though it’s going to be hard for him to rise too much from there, this was an important event for him. He’s explosive off the line of scrimmage. It might seem strange to say for a wideout who led the FBS with 17 touchdown catches last season, but Thomas is just scratching the surface of his talent. In a loaded receiver class, don’t count him out as being a future No. 1 WR.
As Kiper writes, it’s unlikely Thomas will rise too much in an already-loaded receiver class. But in a cycle with so many elite options at the position, Thomas has cemented himself as yet another.
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