NFL Draft Profile: Tavion Thomas, Running Back, Utah Utes
Tavion Thomas
Utah Utes
#9
Pos: RB
Ht: 6003
Wt: 237
Hand: 0928
Arm: 3118
Wing: 7600
40: 4.74
DOB: 5/22/1999
Hometown: Dayton, OH
High School: Dunbar
Eligibility: 2023
One-Liner:
A sturdy back with excellent feet and the vision to press the hole and burst to make it count.
Evaluation:
Definition of a big back. Tall for the position with mass throughout the upper body and posterior chain. Initial quickness and footwork shine, especially given the high-cut nature of his frame. Easy sightlines that he leverages into correct gaps for gains. Sees the cutback and has the agility to hit it and go. Significant growth as a power back from 2021 to 2022. See the added physicality at all three levels of the defense. Contact balance, stiff arms, and the capability to break arm tackles all saw upgrades. Primarily an early down back that is alleviated in obvious passing situations. Yet to see a homerun hit in terms of explosive runs, leaving questions about his long speed. Thomas has a colossal frame that drags defenders and wears down defenses over the course of a game. His mixture of quickness and power allocates yards in both gap and zone run plays. He's largely limited to an early down role, with little utility on passing downs, placing constraints on his overall projection.
Grade:
4th Round
Background:
Originally from Dayton, Ohio. Attended Dunbar High School and was rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports. Began his college career at the University of Cincinnati. Played in ten games during freshman year and rushed for six touchdowns. Had a major decline in sophomore season as only rushed for one touchdown. Transferred to Independence Community College. Had a solid year there and then decided to transfer again to Utah. During first season at Utah, played in thirteen games and had four starts. Had a very solid year, rushing for over one thousand yards and twenty-one touchdowns. Named to the Pac-12 All-Conference first-team. Followed this season up with a pretty good final year. Played in ten games and started five. Finished season with over six hundred rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Projected as a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
