2007 NFL Draft - Browns Select JOE THOMAS

It's official: with the third pick of the 2007 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected offensive tackle Joe Thomas from Wisconsin. I have been calling for Thomas for several months, and it is finally official that he'll be wearing brown and orange, digging in the trenches against teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. As soon as I heard that pick, I let out a huge yell in celebration, because it absolutely made my day. Here is some scouting information on Thomas:

Coming out of Wisconsin, Joe Thomas is considered the top offensive lineman in this year's draft class. He's also the highest rated since Robert Gallery was selected high a few years ago, although it is worth noting that Gallery has basically been a bust thus far. These days, it seems like all highly rated lineman have the potential to be a bust, but in some cases, like Thomas', there is the potential for a team to attain a franchise left tackle. Thomas has great footwork and can get to the point of attack quickly. His mobility and agility allowed him to dominate in the college level.

In the NFL, Thomas will need to bulk up a little. He has good recognition skills, but a little more bulk would help him power through a defensive lineman on running plays. He is one year removed from major knee surgery, although he didn't seem to have many issues in his final season of college.

Thomas was ready to come out of the draft last year, when he was scheduled to be a Top 10-15 pick, but then he tore his ACL while playing in a bowl game. After waiting another year and showing that his knee seems fine, he could very well be a Top 3 pick in this year's draft, earning him a much larger starting salary in the long run.

I will update this post later on with further analysis. Please leave comments in regards to your thoughts of this pick.