Ambry Thomas 2021 NFL Draft Profile

The 2021 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Ambry Thomas 2021 NFL Draft profile.

Background

Position: Cornerback

Size: 6-foot, 183 pounds

Class: Senior

2019 stats: 38 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 3 passes defended, 2 fumble recoveries

Michigan lost Ambry Thomas for the season, as he declared for the 2021 NFL Draft. Thomas stated that he wanted to play his senior season for Michigan, but when the Big Ten initially decided to not play in the fall, he chose to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Thomas was a U.S. Army All-American who chose to stay in-state and go to Michigan. He saw time in a limited capacity as a freshman with seven total tackles and 20 kick returns. His role increased marginally as a sophomore, as he finished the season with nine tackles, one interception, one pass defended, one kick return touchdown and had three touches on the offensive side of the ball as well. The Wolverines won 10 games during Thomas’ sophomore year. In 2019, Thomas was a junior who racked up 38 total tackles, three tackles for loss, three interceptions, three passes defended and two fumble recoveries. Michigan won nine games with Thomas’ help.

While he could’ve improved his stock with another year of college football, that wasn’t in the cards for Thomas. He is currently projected to be a mid-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Strengths

Thomas is solid in press coverage. He gets his hands on a receiver earliy in the play and isn’t afraid to be physical at the line of scrimmage. This disrupts the receiver’s route and helps Thomas keep up with the receiver the rest of the play. It also throws off the timing of the play, which irritates quarterbacks.

His athleticism is good for a player at this position. Thomas can run stride for stride with most receivers he is put up against. He has the necessary speed, quickness and agility to develop into a starting-caliber corner at the next level. His athleticism helps him stay attached to the receiver he is guarding in man coverage.

He is one of the more versatile corners in the class. Thomas got some good experience playing zone and man coverage at Michigan. He also played on the outside and in the slot. There were even some plays he lined up as a deep safety. In addition to his duties on the defensive side of the ball, he was used on offense and as a returner. He proved to be a solid return man with one return touchdown and over 20 yards per kick return.

Weaknesses

While he has the height and length of a good corner, Thomas needs to add some strength to be more effective. He weighs in at just 183 pounds, which is fairly light for the NFL. If he can add some play strength, while maintaining his speed, he can disrupt receivers even more and be more effective in the run game.

He is an ok tackler, but the other areas involved in stopping the run need improvement. Thomas has trouble shedding blocks, so hopefully adding more play strength will help with that. He doesn’t have a good nose for the ball and can take some bad angles in run support.

His ball skills weren’t very good, even though he played offense and was a returner. In 2019 he had just three interceptions and three passes defended. Often times Thomas is near the play when the ball is thrown at him, but has trouble making impactful plays on the ball. The 2019 season was his first as a full-time starter at corner, so it is an area he can look to improve on.

Projected Draft Range: Third Round Pick-Fifth Round Pick

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