Thomas is a ball of energy as a pass rusher and puts the fear of God into offensive linemen with his explosive first step and unrelenting motor. A two-year starter for the Sooners who racked up 15.5 sacks and 22 tackles for a loss over the past two seasons, he’s a bendy athlete who can dip his shoulder and duck under blocks to get to the pocket. He can create havoc off the edge, particularly when he pins his ears back and attacks upfield. In true pass rush situations, he notched an elite 35 percent win rate last year, per PFF (which ranked 11th best nationally among rushers with 100 pass rush reps). He uses a bounding Euro-step cross-chop move, batting and swiping away at tackles’ hands to leave them lunging as he flies into the pocket. He’s a slippery rusher with very good lateral agility that allows him to scoot through gaps and counter to the inside. He’s able to convert speed to power on the bull rush. He has incredible closing speed. Against the run, he flashes the toughness needed to set the edge, locking out his arms to keep offensive linemen off his frame. He shows awareness of where the ball is going and sniffs out misdirections. 

Thomas is undersized and may be viewed as only a pass rush specialist. He lacks sand in his pants against the run and is too easily pushed off the line against double-teams. He gets washed out of the play and fails to hold his ground.