NFL Draft Profile: Thomas Incoom, EDGE, Central Michigan Chippewas
Thomas Incoom
Central Michigan Chippewas
#9
Pos: EDGE
Ht: 6022
Wt: 262
Hand: 0868
Arm: 3328
Wing: 7878
40: 4.66
DOB: 2/19/1999
Hometown: Stone Mountain, GA
High School: Stone Mountain
Eligibility: 2023
One Liner:
Incoom is one of the best speed rushers in the draft and already has a developed bag of pass-rush moves, but he needs to perfect his hand counters and footwork and show more consistency against the run.
Evaluation:
Incoom has a thick, well-built frame that he carries with few to no physical limitations. He rushed from two and three-point stances as a 4-3 defensive end at Central Michigan but projects best as a 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level. As a pass rusher, Incoom quickly accelerates upfield off the snap to stress the tackle’s outside shoulder with his speed. He displays the strength and balance to maintain his trajectory while working through the half-man portion of his rush. The All-MAC edge rusher swats the tackle’s hands with his own aggressive and powerful hands. He uses a push-pull move, rip move, swim move, speed rush, long-arm, and two-armed bull rush as part of his pass rush plan. Incoom understands how to chain multiple moves together. For example, he carried a long-arm into a swim move against LSU (2021). Incoom has the upper body strength to pull himself through once he’s even with the tackle’s shoulder. He usually plays with proper leverage, which unlocks the power elements of his game. The redshirt senior needs to show more flashes of converting speed to power, considering his quick reaction to the snap, violent hands, and acceleration. In 2022, Penn State left tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu began to overset against Incoom because of the Central Michigan defender’s acceleration and speed around the outside. That opened opportunities for Incoom to attack Fashanu’s inside shoulder, which he did to the tune of two pressures against Penn State. While he’s starting to take advantage of inside rush lanes, there’s room for him to take those lanes more often once he sets them up with better footwork. Incoom has fast and light feet and the reactionary athleticism to close rush lanes quickly. He’s a sturdy tackler who usually wraps up. Incoom made a number of splash plays against the run at Central Michigan, but he was unblocked and allowed to read the play in many of those instances. The former Valdosta State star is on the older side for a prospect, and he doesn’t have ideal arm length. Incoom has some ability to flatten his rush angle, but he only displays limited bend. He thrived at Central Michigan but faced inconsistent levels of competition. As a pass rusher, Incoom’s effectiveness drops off when he doesn’t get a quick initial jump. He still relies more on his physical gifts down-to-down than his technical development. Despite his age, Incoom has significant room for growth in his hand counters and footwork. He doesn’t have a spin move in his arsenal, which would be great for the instances where his rush carries him too far upfield. More developed pass rushers usually spin back into the pocket, but Incoom hasn’t made that move yet. He was largely contained against Penn State (2022) on reps versus LT Olumuyiwa Fashanu. The Georgia native’s focus on rushing the quarterback sometimes opens run lanes. He needs to be more mindful of gap integrity and cut out the instances when he overruns plays, opening cutback lanes. Offensive linemen climbing vertically frequently displace Incoom, who displays an inconsistent anchor in run support. The edge rusher is easily sealed inside against the run, although he hustles to get back into the play. Incoom’s pursuit speed is good but not great. He doesn’t get his hands in passing lanes right now but has a history of forcing fumbles. Incoom’s age and arm length will likely prevent him from going in the top 100, but his high-end flashes should captivate teams in the fourth round.
Grade:
4th Round
Background:
Thomas Incoom started his collegiate career at Valdosta State, where he spent 3 three seasons with the Blazers. The Georgia native registered 14 games played in 2018, including three starts, where he accumulated 28 total tackles, five tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks on the defensive line. In 2019, Incoom played in 11 games and had 33 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, two pass deflections, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Incoom then transferred to Central Michigan after the shortened 2020 season. As a senior with the Chippewas, Incoom erupted for 57 total tackles, 15 sacks, and scored a game-winning fumble recovery for a touchdown. Incoom earned All-Mid-American Conference First Team honors after his 2022 season and an invitation to the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl.
