30 Days of Colts' Fits: Starling Thomas V, CB, UAB
The 2023 NFL Draft is officially just under a month away. In order to help you all along until draft day, I decided to start a daily prospect spotlight series to talk about some players that the Colts could target next month.
The players mentioned in this series will be players that I have either heard that the team is really high on or are players that just make way too much sense for the team based on fit/past draft history.
Next up on the countdown to Draftmas is UAB cornerback Starling Thomas V.
Background
Starling Thomas V entered college football as a three star cornerback/wide receiver out of Birmingham, Alabama. He had offers from Ball State and Purdue, but he ultimately chose to attend UAB close to home. Upon entering the program, he immediately switched to the defensive side of the ball to play cornerback.
Thomas V had an immediate impact at UAB. He appeared in 12 games as a freshman back in 2018, logging three pass breakups on the 16 targets he faced. He came back with a strong season as a true sophomore in 2019, where he notched his first career interception in week 14 against North Texas.
Thomas V was set to be the starting outside corner, again, in 2020 for the team, but he tore his ACL and ended up missing the entire season. He bounced back strong from this setback, however, and totaled nine pass breakups and two interceptions as a redshirt junior in 2021. He earned Honorable Mention All-CUSA honors for his play.
While he failed to log an interception as a senior, Thomas V arguably had his best career season in 2022. He forced an incompletion on 29% of his targets (according to PFF), and had nine pass breakups on the season. He earned All-CUSA First Team honors for this breakout season.
After the season, Thomas V was invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl, where his strong play caught the eyes of almost everyone in attendance.
Size/Testing
Height:
5'9"
Weight:
194 pounds
Arm Length:
30.375 inches
Testing Numbers:
40 Time: 4.3 seconds / Bench Press: 14 reps / Vertical Jump: 37.5 inches / Broad Jump: 125 inches / Short-Shuttle: 4.36 seconds / 3-Cone: 7.21 Seconds
Ability on Film
Starling Thomas V is far from perfect on film, but he is an athletic cornerback that knows how to make plays on the ball. He is strong in press coverage and has the recovery speed to cover up for any mistakes he may make deep down the field.
I was particularly impressed with his ability in zone coverage on film. He has great eyes in his side-shuffle, and he breaks on passes with great speed and explosion. This clip below is a great play on the ball out of his deeper zone drop:
Thomas V has seen a lot of playing time over the course of his career and it certainly shows on film. He understands how to pinch wide receivers to the sideline and knows when to get his head around and locate the ball. Here, he sits on the vertical route like a pro and calmly gets in the way to get the pass breakup.
Thomas V has phenomenal ball skills for a cornerback. He finished his career with just three interceptions, but he did log 23 pass breakups in his time at UAB. He was constantly in the right position to locate the ball and dislodge it from his receiver:
While he may not be a well rounded enough cornerback to go on day two of this draft, there is certainly enough on film with his game to warrant a selection in this class. He is a smart, electric, and ball hungry cornerback that knows how to get the job done:
Fit with the Colts/Team Interest
The Indianapolis Colts are in desperate need of cornerbacks this offseason. Kenny Moore II will be back for 2023, so the slot position is officially taken care of (for now). Isaiah Rodgers Sr likely slides in as a starter on one side, but after that, it gets a bit ugly. The only other outside cornerback of note on the roster is Dallis Flowers, a 2022 UDFA that primarily played special teams a year ago.
Thomas V may not solve those cornerback problems, but he would be a strong player to add to the mix. He could come in from day one and compete with Dallis Flowers for depth cornerback and give a boost to the special teams units.
Starling Thomas V is a player that fits a lot of what the team looks for in later round players. He is a positional change player (WR -> CB) that overcame an injury in college (ACL tear in 2020) and put together an all conference performance in his final season.
On top of that, the Colts do have tangible interest in this young cornerback. Thomas V is scheduled to have a Top 30 visit with the team this offseason.
Overall, Starling Thomas V has all the makings to be the next Isaiah Rodgers Sr in the NFL.
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Follow Zach on Twitter @ZachHicks2.
