HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 244

HAND: 9⅛"

ARM: 32⅞"

WINGSPAN: 78¼"

40-YARD DASH: 4.62

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 32.5"

BROAD: 10'0"

POSITIVES

— Has a nice burst off the line of scrimmage to win with speed around the edge.

— Sets up his pass-rush moves well by getting to square to give himself a two-way go and by using head/shoulder fakes to get offensive tackles to stop their feet.

— Solid bend at the top of the rush.

— High pass-rush motor to help get coverage sacks.

— Looked comfortable dropping into coverage.

NEGATIVES

— High pad level, and he lacks the lower-body strength to avoid getting widened when setting the edge.

— Doesn't get much extension on blocks as a run defender, making it difficult for him to escape and make tackles.

— Inconsistent accuracy with his chops to begin pass-rush moves. Often misses and doesn't defeat the hands to defeat the man.

— Lacks the strength to win with power as a rusher and tries to use it too much.

2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 25 TOT, 3 SK, 4 TFL, 2 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR

NOTES

— Born Dec. 20, 1999

— 5-star recruit in the 2018 class, per 247Sports

— Injuries: 2019 (Undisclosed, missed 3 games), 2021 (Undisclosed, missed 1 game), 2022 (Broken foot, offseason surgery, only played in 3 games)

— Suspended 1 game for violation of team rules in 2023, per Greenville News

OVERALL

Coming out of high school, Xavier Thomas was the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2018 class. His potential is evident on tape.

Thomas is a good athlete who has some impressive quickness/suddenness as a pass-rusher to help build on his arsenal in the NFL if he becomes more consistent with his use of hands. Offensive tackles often make the first significant contact and ride him past the quarterback.

Thomas can win with speed right now, and he has a solid rip move to win around the edge paired with decent bend to help corner at the top of the rush. He's also flashed cross-chop and inside spin moves that he might be able to flesh out in the NFL.

The Clemson product does lack some lower-body strength, which is most noticeable when he tries to set the edge as a run defender. He gets widened and struggles to hold his ground, which could be a bigger issue in the NFL. His arms are also on the shorter side, which limits how much extension he gets on blocks and makes it difficult to escape.

Overall, Thomas could be a good fit as a standup outside linebacker who contributes on passing downs for a team that uses a lot of odd fronts and is looking for an edge-rusher. However, his injury history and the fact he'll be 25 years old by the end of his rookie season could lead to teams to believing his ceiling is capped or lower.

GRADE: 5.8 (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 201

POSITION RANK: EDGE20

PRO COMPARISON: Gerri Green

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

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