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JT Thomas W Virginia


bradjock

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Good need pick. Here's the scoop:

 

2006: Redshirted. 2007: (10/0) 19 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 PBU. 2008: (13/13) 65 tackles, 10 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR. 2009: (13/13) 76 tackles, 7 TFL, .5 sacks, 5 PBU, 2 INT. 2010: (13/13) 73 tackles, 7 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 4 PBU, 2 FF, 2 FR.

Height-Weight-Speed 3 Possesses adequate height but could use to add some bulk to frame. Top-end speed and agility is above-average.

Durability 3 Ankle injury forced him to redshirt in 2006. Missed most of fall camp in 2010 with a neck injury.

Intangibles 2 Handles his business both on and off the field. Member of the Athletic Directors Honor Roll. Awarded scout team defensive player of the year during redshirt freshman season (2006). Two time winner of Iron Mountaineer Award for his dedication and work ethic in the weight room and off season workouts.

 

1 = Exceptional2 = Above average3 = Average4 = Below average5 = Marginal

Outside Linebacker Specific Traits

Instincts/Recognition 3 Instincts appear to be average. Will false step on occasion and can be a second late finding and reacting to the football. Does display good recognition skills to sniff out the screen game. Shows good awareness for crosser in his zone when dropping into coverage.

Strength/Toughness 4 Area of weakness. Appears to have a thin frame and lacks elite strength at the point of attack. Is easily engulfed by bigger and more powerful offensive lineman when caught in a phone booth. Also can get pin balled on occasion when wading through traffic. Displays excellent technique when slipping blocks. No question about toughness as although undersized he does not shy away from firing his gun upon contact. Fights to get through trash in pursuit.

Range vs. Run 2 Overall range is a notch below elite. Light on feet and possesses above-average change-of-direction skills and lateral quickness. Angles can be inconsistent at times but closing burst is excellent in pursuit.

Tackling 3 Fundamentally sound wrap up tackler. Does not a nice job of keeping legs moving through contact. Not a heavy hitter but flashes ability to strike upon contact. Generally a reliable tackler in the open field but poor angles can lead to missed tackles on occasion.

3rd Down Capabilities 2 Strength in this area will be in coverage. Shows a wide range in underneath zone coverage. Active and does a nice job of looking up crossers in his area. Athletic and fluid enough to match up with RB's and TEs in man coverage. Times pressures well but lacks power to run through blocks. Closing burst is above-average and can get to QB when having a clear run to secure sack.

 

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I am a huge WVU fan, This kid is leader not by voice but example, I believe he was the one of the captains of the team, In on a majority of the plays, But seemed to not trust his eyes. Fast, has very good range and really good in pass protect. I see him in on third down and long. Good pick up for the 6th.

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Biggs, JD, Jensen, Haugh, Zaidman, etc have all said that he can't wait to be a Bear and he loves to play ST.

 

Also, I guess he's friends with Joshua Moore, and Moore told him that if he loves football, he'll love playing in Chicago.

Moore needs to step it up. He may be the reason they did not draft a CB.

 

Peace :dabears

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I don't know anything about this guy but I'm glad they atleast attempted to draft a OLB, which was actually a position of need in this draft. Not like the QB and Safety selections.. Hope this JT Thomas can work his way into being a solid starter for us, or at the very least a special teams ace.

When the Packers had Favre they still made a habit of drafting and developing quarterbacks. 3 that come to mind ended up starting for other teams:

 

- Mark Brunnel

- Aaron Brooks

- Matt Hasselback

 

I don't know what they got for Brunnel or Brooks, but the traded Hasselback for Ahman Green. Further, they drafted Rodgers in the 1st round and he sat for 3 years behind Favre before getting a chance to play. My point - I have no issues with them drafting a QB if they can use it to their advantage at some point.

 

Peace :dabears

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It really says something about Tom Brady that the New England Patriots QB is 33 years old and still people are questioning why they'd bother drafting a QB. But also I think with the recent successes of Kurt Warner and Favre, people now view the position with a little more longevity than they would've, say, 5 years ago.

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He reminds me of the Notre Dame linebacker we had for a couple years back in the early 2000s. He recovered the onside kick in the Cleveland comeback game.

 

Peace :dabears

 

 

Only Domer LB who was a Bear i can think of is Mike Stonebreaker, didn't think he stuck though

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I like the pick. Guy sounds like a Tampa-2 OLB to me, and the issues with strength and reading offenses can be fixed to some degree in the pros. I remember when Urlacher was first in camp with the Bears as a rookie, people were talking about him looking lost, not trusting his eyes, etc. Now he's one of the best in the game at reading and diagnosing the play. Also, Thomas (from what I've read) has the things that you can't train up: speed, change-of-direction, and range. Combine that with good tackling technique, and he should at least be a good ST player, with a chance to develop into a contributor on defense. Nice value in the 6th.

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I like the pick. Guy sounds like a Tampa-2 OLB to me, and the issues with strength and reading offenses can be fixed to some degree in the pros. I remember when Urlacher was first in camp with the Bears as a rookie, people were talking about him looking lost, not trusting his eyes, etc. Now he's one of the best in the game at reading and diagnosing the play. Also, Thomas (from what I've read) has the things that you can't train up: speed, change-of-direction, and range. Combine that with good tackling technique, and he should at least be a good ST player, with a chance to develop into a contributor on defense. Nice value in the 6th.

 

Agreed, But to add , He is no trouble type of guy. Very good in Locker room, no issues to speak of. Only reason I say that is a bunch WVU / Marshall players have Law problems.

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