Juanyeh Thomas NFL Draft Profile

Juanyeh Thomas has been one of the leaders of the Georgia Tech defense for the last three seasons, but he is now going to the NFL Draft, which is this weekend in Las Vegas. Thomas has had more than 50 tackles and an interception in each of the last three seasons and has been a tremendous locker presence for a Yellow Jackets team that has been struggling as a program. 

In his first season as a starter for Georgia Tech, Thomas finished with 60 tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception. In 2020, he had similar stats with 59 tackles, two forced fumbles, and an interception. During Thomas's last season in 2021, he set a career-high in tackles with 81 and had one sack, and two forced fumbles. He got better in every season and that should be appealing to NFL teams. 

The NFL Combine was a chance for Thomas to show why he should be picked in the NFL Draft and he did not disappoint. He ran a 4.55 40-yard dash, which is impressive for someone that is 6'1 212 LBS. He had 17 bench press reps and a 34-inch vertical jump. 

Much like his Georgia Tech counterpart Tariq Carpenter, Thomas is projected to play as a safety/linebacker that operates near the line of scrimmage. His size will allow him to be helpful in the run game and he has the size and physicality to guard tight ends and running backs. He is a physical player with length and NFL teams covet that. 

It is likely that Thomas will be a day three pick in the fourth or fifth round. He can make an instant impact on special teams and for teams in passing situations. He still has a lot to learn, but he could develop into a solid NFL starter down the line. I think that Thomas has the potential to surprise a lot of people by being a contributor in his first season.