NFL Draft Profile: Xavier Thomas, EDGE, Clemson Tigers
#3
Pos: EDGE
Ht: 6020
Wt: 274
Hand: 918
Arm: 3268
Wing: 7868
40: 4.90
DOB: 12/20/1999
Hometown: Florence, SC
High School: IMG Academy
Eligibility: 2023
Xavier Thomas Clemson Tigers
One Liner:
A densely built, explosive athlete with an elite pedigree dating back to his time in high school who carries an injury history and possesses physical limitations that he’s failed to offset with technical savvy.
Evaluation:
Thomas possesses an explosive first step that led to some eye-opening moments early in his career. The fifth-year edge rusher’s first step allows him to beat tackles around their outside shoulders. He’s also quick enough to beat pulling guards and has the high motor and linear speed to generate tackles for loss as the backside defender on running plays. The former five-star recruit is a punishing tackler who rattles offensive players without drawing penalties. There are some moments of sudden stop-start acceleration on Thomas’ tape. Unfortunately, the South Carolina native is often injured and will miss Clemson’s opening game this season with a recent foot injury that required surgery. Thomas lacks elite bend and length. Despite his hot motor in pursuit, he often gets stuck on blocks against the run and struggles to generate backward movement against linemen. Thomas still relies heavily on his physical gifts and has shown limited growth in terms of building an arsenal of pass rush moves and counters. Even after suffering injuries and setbacks, including a battle with COVID-19 and strep throat and strep throat in 2020, Thomas remains an athletically gifted prospect. He projects as a developmental rotational edge rusher with some scheme versatility depending on his playing weight.
Grade:
5th Round
Background:
Thomas was a five-star recruit from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 3 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 5 for Rivals, and No. 4 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 4th in the nation with a 94 grade out of 100. Thomas enrolled at IMG Academy after three years at Wilson High School (Florence, S.C.). As a high school senior, he totaled 34 tackles and eight tackles for loss while helping IMG Academy to a 9-0 record. As a sophomore, Thomas amassed 70 tackles, nine sacks, and 13 tackles for loss along with 568 yards and eight touchdowns on 59 carries. During his freshman season, the South Carolina native tallied 59 tackles, eight sacks, 21 tackles for loss, and 21 quarterback pressures. Thomas received the Anthony Muñoz Award for 2017 as the best lineman in high school football at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl banquet. He participated in the U.S. Army All-American Game. He earned a degree in criminal justice in December 2020 and is pursuing a graduate degree in athletic leadership. Thomas has earned 2018 First-Team Freshman All-America, 2019 Third-Team All-ACC, and 2021 Third-Team All-ACC honors up to this point in his college career. He was born on Dec. 20, 1999, meaning he’ll be 23 years old at the time of the 2023 NFL Draft.
