It’s been a weird and bumpy road for Michael Thomas, but the Ohio State wide receiver is heading into the NFL with momentum, receiving interest from the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints.
Thomas, the nephew of Keyshawn Johnson, who had a few great moments during his NFL career and was the number one overall pick in 1996, wasn’t recruited by USC and UCLA and was redshirted during his sophomore season with the Buckeyes after he couldn’t handle learning the offense and his grades. When he came back, he was a different person and player, fully capable of handling what was expected of him.
Thomas had 54 receptions for 799 yards and nine touchdowns as Ohio State went all the way to win a national championship in 2014. He was just as effective in 2015 despite the passing offense declining under Urban Meyer’s two-quarterback system. He finished with 56 receptions and 581 yards.
While he’s not going to be a number one pick like his uncle, Thomas might end up getting picked in the third round. He’s big and fast like teams want to see from a number one receiver, and with the right kind of work he can be that kind of guy for teams in a year or maybe two. At the moment, he struggles getting early separation and his route running could use a little bit of work.
But overall, Thomas had a solid college career and seems to be someone who is only just now scratching the surface of his potential. Fixing some non-critical issues during his rookie year instead of getting thrown into the deep end could really benefit him, and the team that selects him, winning a dependable, potentially star receiver for a number of years.