Florida State Undrafted Rookie makes Los Angeles Rams 53-man roster
The deadline has passed and teams across the NFL have cut down to the mandated 53-man limit as they prepare to begin their respective seasons. Tuesday provided plenty of shockers, both good and bad.
READ MORE: Florida State Seminoles release depth chart for LSU Tigers
Former Florida State defensive end Keir Thomas went undrafted in April. It was a little unexpected but not a total surprise after Thomas dealt with injuries as a senior and failed to attain an invitation to the NFL Combine.
Instead of getting down on himself, the Florida native used the failure as fuel. Shortly after going undrafted, he signed a deal with the Los Angeles Rams. Thomas has done nothing but impress since and on Tuesday, he learned that he had made the Rams' active roster as an undrafted free agent. He was one of three UDFAs (Thomas, WR Lance McCutcheon, ILB Jake Hummel) to make the 53-man roster.
Thomas made a case for himself following a strong performance in the 16-7 preseason finale loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He recorded three tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, and a quarterback hit throughout the course of the game. In three preseason appearances, he compiled five tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, and three quarterback hits. Thomas was among the rookie leaders in total pressures during the preseason.
The 6-foot-2, 275-pound edge-rusher is listed as an outside linebacker in Los Angeles' 3-4 defense. Despite being considered a 'linebacker' by the Rams, Thomas' main role will be to set the edge against the run and get after the passer. He displayed his talents to rush the quarterback at Florida State but one aspect that has stood out about Thomas at the NFL level so far is his ability to stop the run.
Thomas only spent one season in Tallahasse but he made a sizable impact alongside current New York Jets defensive end, Jermaine Johnson. In 12 starts, he totaled 42 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, one pass breakup, and 15 quarterback hurries. The majority of his production came down the stretch as Florida State pushed for a bowl game appearance but ultimately fell short. At the conclusion of the year, Thomas was named Third-Team All-ACC.
He joins cornerback Jalen Ramsey and running back Cam Akers as former Seminoles on the Rams.
READ MORE: Former Penn State running back enrolls at Florida State
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