Philadelphia Eagles Draft: 5 Below The Radar First Round Prospects

Solomon Thomas, DT/DE, Stanford

I was tempted to put Howard’s Crimson Tide teammate DL Jonathan Allen here, who has a similar skill set to Thomas, but Solly gets the call here because of his length.

Apparently, it isn’t ideal.

Thomas was an incredibly productive player for the Cardinals this past year. He rushed successfully from the edge and the interior, showing fantastic hands and a great motor. He understands how to play with leverage and wins in a variety of ways. Everything you want to see from a first-round defensive lineman, you see on Thomas’ tape.

But reports have surfaced recently that teams are concerned with his size/positional fit at the next level. Is he long enough to play as a defensive end? Is he stout enough to play as a defensive tackle? To be honest, the only thing to dislike about Thomas’ tape is that he can disappear for spells. He’s consistent, but not exactly dominant, at either position.

That being said, Thomas took the 8th overall spot on the big board I released earlier this month. The ceiling is there. Thomas on this defensive line? Sweet Christmas. He could play outside, opposite Brandon Graham, on early downs; bump down next to DT Fletcher Cox and provide a pass rush from the interior on later downs.

If the Philadelphia Eagles select any edge rusher with this pick, their defensive line would boast of three first-round selections, and all of them would be under contract through the next two seasons (Graham becomes a free agent after 2019). If they can’t take over games regularly then, I don’t know if they ever will.