NFL Draft Profile: Thomas Booker, 3-4 Defensive End, Stanford
#4
Pos: DL
Ht: 6033
Wt: 301
Hand: 1058
Arm: 3328
Wing: 8058
40: 4.94
3-Cone: 7.33
Shuttle: 4.41
Broad Jump: 0902
DOB: _/_/_
Eligible: 2022
Baltimore, MD
Gilman High School
Thomas Booker
Stanford Cardinal
One-Liners
Lacks anchor, leg drive, and go to move but will play his best when he avoids double teams to win with his hand placement and punch.
Pros:
As a leader for the Stanford defense, Thomas Booker has developed all facets of his game during his tenure with the Cardinal. He's an agile defender with quick feet. Plays with a level of suddenness to his game that makes it hard for linemen to predict his approaches. Plays off of his strong punch with decent arm extension. He uses these same qualities to stack and shed opponents with above-average timing. His eyes are what help separate him both with tracking the ball but identifying the runner and timing his disengagements. His quickness allows for him to cover several gaps along the interior offensive line and collapse them with a decent tackle radius.
Cons:
Despite being a multi-year starter Booker is lacking in several important areas of his game. He isn't quick off the line and that makes it hard for him to attack offensive linemen before they get set. His lack of leg drive makes it hard for him to really move guys backward and losses the advantage of having good hand placement. When he wins off the snap, his gap integrity falters and will drift between several rush lanes. On the other end against the run, Booker favors poorly vs double teams and has a hard time anchoring. His inconsistent penetration stems largely from his inability to shrink his pads to squeeze gaps despite having the quickness to stress that part of his game. Pad level remains high for most of his game as well.
Summary:
Following up his successful 2020 season, Thomas Booker took another step in the right direction both as a leader on his defense and as a draft prospect. Booker plays with tight hips and high pads which makes it harder for him to utilize his unique skillset. At his best, he stacks and shed linemen and quickly close lanes for running backs. Along with that, he can provide some juice when getting after the passer as long as he's crashing or stunting. His future team will have to decide where they want him to play because he could play as a big end in a 4-3 scheme with the ability to slide inside or more appropriately as a defensive end in an odd front.
Grades
Current Player Value/Potential Player Value
6.3 / 7.1
Quotables
"That’s definitely one of my best assets. I’d say my ability to change direction is a big strength. I’m an adaptable player who can learn different concepts quickly. I learned in college that the quicker you pick things up, the less you have to think about it. The less you have to think, the better player you’re going to be." - Thomas Booker on his intelligence
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- East-West Shrine Bowl – February 3rd, 2022 (Las Vegas, NV)
- NFLPA Collegiate Bowl – January 29th, 2022 (Pasadena, CA)
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