Every year, the NFL draft has players that aren’t talked about at all, then burst onto the scene as an NFL star. It is usually pretty unpredictable, with only a few scouts being able to capitalize on this potential, but this year there is one player in particular who seems to fit this year’s breakout candidate.

R Mason Thomas is an EDGE out of Oklahoma University, and despite being in mock drafts as a second round pick, he has the potential to be a DROY candidate for a few reasons. He has a relentless competitive drive and gives 100% effort. He has a fantastic get off and when tackles are left on an island with him, it never ends well, with him usually running straight past them with pure speed. Also, he has fantastic power if given a head start to run, which is represented through his fantastic run game. 

With all these praises, why exactly would scouts not pick him? Well the problem is his size. He is listed at 6’ 2’’ 240lbs, and only runs a 4.67 40 time, which is relatively unimpressive for someone his size. Along with that, his head on strength is meager, with tackles and even tight ends being able to contain if met immediately off the line. This problem also comes into view when faced with fast or lengthy tackles being able to contain him successfully. 

With all that being said, there is a path to success with him. The reason his play was so effective at Oklahoma is because of how good the defensive line surrounding him was. That allowed him to get needed 1 on 1 with tackles which improved production, and when the offense keyed in on him, it allowed the rest of the Oklahoma line to have more success. If he can get a similar situation as he did in Oklahoma, the production could kick off immediately. Some of these ideal landing spots are New England, Seattle and Philadelphia.

Despite his size, Thomas has a great opportunity to prove scouts wrong and if put in the right situation, his career may be able to take off immediately.