Outgoing Oklahoma DE R Mason Thomas Details 'Surreal' Pre-Draft Process

NORMAN — There’s plenty of uncertainty surrounding when and where R Mason Thomas will be selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Thomas, an edge rusher, was one of 10 players from Oklahoma’s 2025 squad who competed at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis from Feb. 23 to March 2. He and 13 other outgoing Sooners participated in Oklahoma’s Pro Day on Thursday, though Thomas opted not to work out with NFL scouts and executives in the building.

Some NFL Draft analysts predict that Thomas will be selected in the first round. Others expect him to fall into the late second round. With six weeks until Pittsburgh hosts the draft from April 23-25, there are so many different destinations where Thomas could end up.

But he isn’t losing sleep over the uncertainty. Instead, Thomas is embracing the unknown.

“You don’t know what to expect, that’s the exciting part about it,” Thomas said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Over four seasons at Oklahoma, Thomas registered 65 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown. He earned Second Team All-SEC honors in 2024 before being named to the First Team as a senior in 2025.

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Per Pro Football Focus, Thomas is the No. 47 overall prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft.

At the combine, Thomas ran a 4.67-second 40-yard dash. The edge rusher admitted that the time — which ranked 10th among defensive ends at the combine — was slower than he hoped.

But Thomas isn’t dwelling on that.

“I don’t have to worry about running the 40 again after this,” Thomas said.

And while Thomas didn’t reach his goal in the 40-yard dash, he believes that he bolstered his draft stock in other ways.

“I think my interviews went very well,” Thomas said. “I think that was my strong suit. Play style, play recognition, talking through what I do. I think my coachability was good, too.”

Thomas admitted that the stress has crept in at times throughout the pre-draft process. But he is quick to suppress any nervous thoughts.

Thomas will never be drafted again, so he’s trying to savor every moment of his post-college, pre-NFL life.

“There’s so much joy and uncertainty for the first time, and I can’t replicate it again,” Thomas said. “It’s so surreal. It doesn’t even feel real sometimes.”

Thomas could hear his name called on Day 1. Or he could fall to the second day.

Either way, Thomas is confident that he’ll be able to be effective at the next level, due to his grit and the instruction that he received from OU coach Brent Venables during his time in Norman.

“You have to work at something,” Thomas said. “You have to outwork people. You can’t not work and expect results. Some people can wake up and just have it. Some people have to work at it. I’m one of those people who has to work at it.”