Potential Rags-to-Riches Story Will Have Predraft Visit With Packers

From a football perspective, this would be quite a rags-to-riches story.

Jacob Thomas walked on at James Madison. He wasn’t given a scholarship until his junior season.

Two years later, he’s on his way to the NFL.

Thomas is scheduled to have a predraft visit with the Green Bay Packers, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein.

Thomas was a 39-game starter for the Dukes. He earned second-team all-Sun Belt Conference in 2024, when he had three interceptions, six passes defensed, 72 tackles and eight tackles for losses, and again in 2025, when he had two interceptions, nine passes defensed, 71 tackles and four tackles for losses to help the Dukes reach the College Football Playoffs.

His hard work paid off at his pro day workout, as well. Thomas ran his 40 in an unofficial 4.45 seconds. He said he started his training with a 4.71.

At 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, here’s his potential Relative Athletic Score.

https://x.com/prestonscomer/status/2037329906707689844

“You’ve got to figure a lot of stuff out while you’re down there,” Thomas said at JMU’s pro day of his predraft training. “You don’t have parents, you don’t have friends down there, so you’ve got to figure it out on your own — eating more healthy and taking care of your body more.”

Thomas in 2025 was a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, which goes to the best player in the nation who started his career as a walk-on, and a team captain.

“It was more so just trying to find who I was and what I wanted to do at JMU,” he said of his path to stardom at James Madison. “So, like me trying to prove myself. It wasn't really about going out there and trying to be perfect on Day 1. It was really just more so trying as hard as possible as I can at everything I can.

“So, trying in the classroom and getting there early for meetings, paying attention, trying to gain as much knowledge as I could from all the old heads in the group at the time. So, it was really more so just about just trying to give my best effort through everything that we had going on.”

In three seasons, PFF charged Thomas with a 50.0 percent completion rate allowed, which is excellent, but a missed-tackle rate of 18.1 percent, which is too high.

“He’s like our security blanket,” fellow safety Kye Holmes told The Breeze. “You can always rely on him to make that one tackle, get that one play made. I just love having him out there next to me.”

Said JMU coach Bob Chesney: “He’s a clear mind. In the heat of the moment, he has a poise about him that's really exciting to watch, and at the same exact point in time, he's a leader. … He responds over and over again. He doesn’t just react – he doesn't impulsively react – he responds, and that's exciting.”

Thomas played 996 snaps last season. Of the 794 on defense, 320 came as an in-the-box safety, 250 came as a free safety and 156 came in the slot.

Thomas probably would be taking the long road again in the NFL, where he’ll probably enter as a late-round draft pick or undrafted free agent.

With the Packers, he’d enter a crowded safety room with Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard and Kitan Oladapo, but they are a man down after Zayne Anderson signed with Miami in free agency.

Anderson was a key cog on special teams for Green Bay. Even as a starting safety, Thomas played 206 snaps on special teams in 2025, 141 in 2024 and 200 in 2023.

“If you just keep putting your head down, keep working and keep grinding and stay where your feet are, you are bound to do big things,” Thomas said.

Packers Predraft Visits

Round 3 pass rusher | Hard-hitting linebacker | Round 3 receiver

SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY PACKERS NEWSLETTER