2018 NFL Draft: Cleveland Browns Pick DE Chad Thomas at No. 67

With the 67th pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected DE Chad Thomas (6-5, 281 lbs, Miami). It was the third pick of the 3rd round.

Scouting Reports

Here is a scouting report from CBS Sports’ Dane Brugler, who projected him to be a 4th-5th round pick.

A three-year starter at Miami (Fla.), Thomas lined up with his hand on the ground as the starting left defensive end in the Hurricanes’ four-man front. Some in the scouting community have expressed concern about his passion for music, but he directly shuts down that narrative (Thomas at the Scouting Combine: “If I liked music more than football, I wouldn’t be here.”). Thomas has impressive ease of movement for a man his size with the hammer hands and length to develop as a pass rush threat. He didn’t get home enough on film with average sack production, but his consistency was better vs. the run. Overall, Thomas isn’t a quick-twitch speed rusher who will consistently threaten the edge, but he has the upper body power and fluidity to be a base defensive end and valuable rotational player.

Here is what Pro Football Focus said about Thomas:

Thomas is a physical specimen, but didn’t dominate in college like his traits would suggest. That’s always concerning, but he took a big step forward this past year from previous seasons. Thomas has the versatility to play from multiple alignments, and should at worst be a plus run defender in the NFL.

How He Fits the Browns

We knew the Browns were going to try to add to the defensive end position. They passed up on the opportunity to draft Bradley Chubb in the first round, and at this spot, I think many will feel they should have taken Ohio State’s Sam Hubbard instead. For now, Thomas will compete for a rotational spot to see if he can take time away from Carl Nassib or Nate Orchard, while Myles Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah are atop the depth chart.

React Now

What do you think, Browns fans?