Andrew Thomas Outshined by Other Tackles at NFL Combine
Andrew Thomas was a dominant mainstay on the University of Georgia offensive line for three straight seasons. Barring an ankle injury that kept him out of the Middle Tennessee State game in 2018 and the Sugar Bowl in 2019, Thomas started every game of his Georgia career.
Though, illustrious as his three-time All-American career may have been, there are several other offensive tackles in this year's NFL Draft that have received a bit more love than the tackle from Georgia.
Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills Jr, and Mecki Becton have all been projected to be selected ahead of Thomas are various NFL Mock Drafts headed into this week's NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
And though Andrew Thomas' performance was more than adequate. Though his technique remained flawless throughout all of the on-field drills and was mentioned in a group of names that had good days by NFL Network's lead NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, he was simply outshined by the other tackles he is being stacked up against.
Even if the 40-yard dash is not directly correlated to NFL success, Thomas didn't exactly gain ground on the others. Even worse, Thomas' ten-yard split was behind the others as well:
| Name | 10 Split | 40 Time | Vertical |
|---|---|---|---|
Andrew Thomas | 1.83 | 5.22 | 30.5" |
Jedrick Wills | 1.83 | 5.09 | 34.5" |
Tristan Wirfs | 1.69 | 4.85 | 36.5" |
Mekhi Becton | 1.80 | 5.10 | DNP |
All of those compared to Thomas came into the combine heavier as well. Especially the massive Mekhi Becton who measures in just over 6'7 and 364 pounds. He certainly would have been today's combine winner with his 5.10 forty yard dash had Tristan Wirfs from Iowa not stole the show.
Wirfs not only ran a blazing 4.85 with a 1.69 10-yard split, but he also set the combine record for an offensive lineman in both the vertical (36.5") and the broad jump (10'1").
I am still a firm resident in the "Andrew Thomas is the best tackle in the draft" camp. Again, I don't think he had a bad day by any means. I certainly expected to see him run a slightly faster 40 and show a bit more explosion.
However, the bottom line is Andrew Thomas has 41 games worth of first-round caliber tackle play in the SEC on tape. So what if he didn't steal the show in the explosive measurables today.
But he displayed the footwork and technique that made him an All-American and that's what you expected to see. The technician out on the edge that won the Jacobs Trophy for the SEC's top lineman.
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