Posted by Sean in Fantasy Advice on Feb 11th 2010 and last modified on Feb 18th 2010. (Print This)
Thomas is the best blocking receiver in this class. He was overlooked at Georgia Tech, but won't be come draft day.
Demaryius Thomas WR
Junior: Georgia Tech
Height: 6’3″ , 230 lbs.
Update: Thomas broke his foot while training for the combine. We’ll continue to monitor the situation.
Despite being trapped in a run dominated Tech offense and a below average quarterback, Thomas was able to piece together a decent highlight reel in his three years as a yellow-jacket.
Freshman Year 2007: 35 catches, 550 receiving yards, 4 touchdowns.
Sophomore Year 2008: 35 receptions, 558 receiving yards 4 touchdowns.
Junior Year 2009: 46 catches, 1154 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns. His reception numbers were held in check by the team’s triple option, but his yards per catch was incredible: 21.5.
Strengths: Good luck jamming him at the line. He has decent speed to combine with one of the more dominant frames this draft has to offer. Aggressively attacks the ball at it’s peak. Is a hands catcher. Is rarely outworked by opposing corners. Uses his size effectively in blocking. Tech’s run-first approach has allowed him to become potentially the best blocking wide-out in this class. Does not hesitate to go over the middle. Is tough to take down and has strong yards after contact ability.
Weaknesses: His stature works against him in his fluidness. Needs to work on cleaning up his breaks. Is not the fastest off the line. Speed more apparent on deeper routes. Struggles to get to full speed in short game. He is still raw and needs polishing. Needs to add a couple of branches to his route tree and work on his experience in reading coverages. GT was such a run heavy team that opposing defenses rarely structured their defense around stopping Thomas.
Predicting his landing spot is difficult. We’ve seen him predicted as high as the first round, but feel that he’ll most likely fall to the second. There is top round potential here, but he’ll need some work before making an NFL impact. The foundation and fundamentals are present. He’s raw, but has displayed strong work ethic and has been a solid locker-room presence. His combine stats will be closely looked at by scouts. If he can post a solid 40 time, with his stature he could shoot up many draft wish lists. Will most likely be a developing project in his rookie year.
NFL Comparisons: Brandon Marshall, Roy Williams.
Highlights: