NFL Draft Analyst Lance Zierlein of the NFL Network and NFL.com put out his final mock draft, his 4.0 Mock Draft and he has Miami selecting…
Round 1, Pick #21: Brian Thomas Jr, WR – LSU
“It may be hard for the Dolphins to pass on a pass rusher like Laiatu Latu, but looking at the other quarterbacks taking snaps in the AFC, Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel might view this as an “arms race” selection — and it could truly make Miami the fastest team in the history of football.”
NFL.com Draft Profile
Overview
Presents an appealing combination of size, length and speed with experience working inside and outside. Thomas will occasionally go through the motions as a route-runner, but the bend, athleticism and speed needed to get better are all in the toolbox. He’s elusive against press and can uncover quickly underneath, but he still needs to improve intermediate routes and play a little more physically when crowded to become well-rounded. Thomas rarely has issues generating separation deep and could be counted on as an NFL team’s designated deep guy early in his career. Thomas is unpolished but has projectable talent to become a WR1/2 in time.
Strengths
- Good job of steering clear of press hands during his release.
- Short-area shake helps uncover for quick hitters underneath.
- Able to bend hips and sit in the chair at route breaks.
- Straight-line speed takes him into top position on go routes.
- Outstanding ball-tracker who can bring it in over his shoulder.
- Length and burst to run down and secure potential overthrows.
- Led nation with 17 receiving scores at a pace of one every four catches.
Weaknesses
- Needs to pick up his route pace and salesmanship as a pro.
- Will battle occasional focus drops.
- Can avoid catch contact by working back to the throw.
- Fast but possesses average run-after-catch talent.
- Might need to ramp up physicality against clingy coverage.
PFN Draft Profile
Strengths
- Streamlined WR with elite length and efficient mass and is a premier athlete at his size.
- Stack specialist with superlative explosiveness and speed working the vertical plane.
- Has the long speed to create and sustain vertical separation, generating big plays.
- Energetic, flexible long-strider who can vaporize tackling angles with his acceleration.
- Crisp foot speed and agility allows him to off-set DBs with split and foot-fire releases.
- Has good zone awareness and can use bend to keep speed while splicing into lanes.
- Has the fluidity to cut double-moves at incredibly acute angles, leaving DBs in the lurch.
- Can be intentional with his body lean at stems and capitalize with sharp flexibility.
- Has shown he can use his length to wall off DBs while tracking deep passes vertically.
- Flashes elite focus, body control, and hand-eye coordination in contested situations.
- Naturally tracks the ball over his shoulder and can guide passes in without much space.
- Authoritatively attacks the ball in the air with his reach, winning routinely at the point.
- Has the awareness to adapt and create second-wave separation on scramble drills.
- Makes quick RAC transitions and can use tempo modulations to swim past defenders.
- Can be schemed RAC opportunities with long-strider speed and has crafty fluidity.
Weaknesses
- Has a relatively underdeveloped route tree past verticals, crossers, and drags.
- Head fakes and stop-and-start moves aren’t always abrupt or deliberate enough to sell.
- Can be a bit more consistent at fully pressing upfield into stems with his vertical speed.
- Sometimes loses his balance when attempting to sink and hinge around on hitches.
- Still learning how to stay controlled while channeling high-energy athleticism at stems.
- Longer limbs make it harder to manage plant-and-drive footwork on sharp route breaks.
- Still learning how to use targeted physicality in conjunction on releases and at stems.
- At times, keeps hands too wide when attacking, which can source catch-point instability.
- At times comes overtop and wrenches down high passes too much, increasing drop risk.
- Has good RAC physicality but doesn’t have high-end play strength or contact balance.
- Shows glimpses of great hustle and physicality as a blocker but can be more consistent.
