2017 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 30 players after Week 6
By Tyler Brooke
We have no idea whether or not Stanford redshirt sophomore Solomon Thomas will declare for the NFL draft after this season. However, if he does, we genuinely believe that he could be worth a first-round pick.
In one and a half seasons with the Cardinal, Thomas has made a major impact on defense. As a redshirt freshman, Thomas racked up 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. This year, he’s kept it rolling with plenty of plays made in the backfield.
Thomas isn’t going to be the biggest defensive lineman at the next level, coming in at a modest 6’3” and 273 pounds. That doesn’t mean that the Stanford prospect isn’t strong, however, because he does a great job using leverage and athleticism to disengage with blockers. Heck, he’s even taken up boxing to work on developing more violent hands.
This is the kind of guy 3-4 defenses would love to develop into a starting 5-technique defensive end. He might not declare for the draft this year, but there’s no denying that this guy will be playing on Sundays in the near future.