PROSPECT SUMMARY - THOMAS GRAHAM

Thomas Graham has average reactive athleticism, as evidenced in his agility and overall quickness. He is a willing tackler in the run game and has shown the ability to be a wrap-up tackler against the run. When he is the force player, he does a good job getting the runner on the ground. In the passing game, he plays with good technique. Because he lacks top-end speed and short-area agility, his good technique helps him open his hips on time and get to the football. He has excellent timing and ball skills and is extremely competitive at the catch point.

Ideal Role: Subpackage outside-only corner.

Scheme Fit: Zone scheme with some press concepts.

FILM EVALUATION

Written by Drae Harris

Games watched: Stanford (2019), Auburn (2019), USC (2019)

Best Game Studied: Stanford (2019)

Worst Game Studied: USC (2019)

Man Coverage: He has good man cover skills. He does a good job with his technique, which puts him in a position to make plays. He also does a good job of competing at the catch point when the ball is in the air.

Zone Coverage: He does a good job in zone coverage. He has a good understanding of route combinations. He also does a good job playing the ball in the air to get deflections.

Ball Skills: He demonstrates good ball skills. He has been very productive against the pass in his career. He could improve at getting more interceptions instead of settling for the PBU.

Tackling: He is a good tackler against the run. He comes up courageously and has shown the ability to be a wrap-up tackler. His tackling against receivers is very good.

Versatility: He lacks true positional versatility. He is not a great athlete and doesn’t have ideal size. As a result, he is best suited to play outside.

Competitive Toughness: He demonstrates the competitive toughness necessary for the position. He closes hard and will compete at the catch point. He also shows good physical toughness as a run defender.

Functional Athleticism: His functional athleticism will be an issue for him in the NFL. He is not a dynamic athlete. He lacks elite top-end speed and also lacks the short-area agility that’s essential in coverage.

Football IQ: His football IQ overall is average. He will at times forget his responsibilities in an effort to get his hands on the football. He has been successful at getting his hands on the football, though.

Run Defense: He is a good run defender. When he is the force player, he does a good job of showing up in the run game. He has shown proficiency as a wrap-up tackler.

Length: His length overall is average. He is 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds and lacks good height, weight, speed measurables. He also lacks the length necessary for an effective press/zone corner.

Prospect Comparison: Darius Phillips (2019 NFL Draft, Cincinnati Bengals)