R Mason Thomas DE/EDGE Oklahoma |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #32 SUB-POSITION: EDGE RUSHER | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.67 seconds (85%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.11 DOB: 08/25/2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #32 | |
| SUB-POSITION: EDGE RUSHER | |
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.67 seconds (85%*) | |
| Age: 21.11 DOB: 08/25/2004 | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
| Overall Rating: | 86.2 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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75% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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67% |
| Pass Rush: |
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97% |
| Run Defense: |
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81% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Early
Overall Rank:
#34
Position rank:
#7 (DL)
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| College Games: 41 College Snaps: 1289 | ||
ESPN RATING: 77/100
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247 RATING: 92/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.7 (93%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Josaiah Stewart - Michigan |
|
93% |
| Arnold Ebiketie - Penn State |
|
92% |
| Jonah Elliss - Utah |
|
89% |
Drafted: ROUND: 2 - Pick Number: 40 (KC)
Draft Profile: Bio
Harvey Thomas played defensive end at Florida in the early 1990s, and his son R Mason Thomas took that same pass-rushing DNA to Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, where he racked up 109 tackles, 36 tackles for loss, and 19 sacks across his junior and senior seasons. He anchored a defense that won consecutive Florida 4A state championships in 2020 and 2021 while also competing in the 100, 200, and 400 meters on the track team. Rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports and On3, and a three-star by ESPN and Rivals, Thomas originally committed to Iowa State before flipping to Oklahoma.His first two years in Norman were defined more by the training room than the field. A high-ankle sprain cost him three games as a true freshman in 2022, limiting him to 10 appearances, seven tackles, and half a sack. A second high-ankle sprain, this time to the other ankle, kept him out of four games in 2023, where he managed nine tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a single sack in a rotational role. Two ankles, two surgeries, two frustrating seasons spent watching from the sideline.
The breakout came in 2024. Thomas started 11 of 13 games and delivered 23 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 9.0 sacks, earning All-SEC Second Team honors from the coaches and Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week recognition after a dominant performance at Auburn. He forced two fumbles, recovered two more, and took one back nine yards for a touchdown against LSU. His senior year in 2025 brought continued production: 6.5 sacks and a 14.6% pressure rate across 10 games, along with AP Second Team All-American, First Team All-SEC, and Bednarik Award semifinalist nods. A quad and hamstring injury suffered during a 71-yard fumble return touchdown cut his season short, but he returned for the CFP opener against Alabama to close out his college career.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Explosive first step off the snap creates instant stress for tackles before their hands are even set.
- Converts speed to power with violent technique, catching blockers off guard when they sit back for the speed rush.
- Remarkable bend and ankle flexion allow him to flatten around the arc while staying balanced through contact.
- Natural pad level keeps him low without thinking about it, winning the leverage war against taller, longer opponents consistently.
- Relentless pursuit from the backside. Closing speed on running backs is unusual for an edge player and creates unexpected tackle opportunities.
- Fourth-quarter animal. Six of his nine sacks in 2024 came protecting leads, which tells you something about his competitive wiring.
- Carved a shallow path inside against slower tackles in 2024, showing the ability to collapse pockets with different rush angles.
- Plays with a nasty competitive streak that belies his frame. Does not concede ground willingly and scraps through double teams with effort and quick feet.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Undersized frame at 249 pounds with below-average arm length invites bigger blockers to lock onto his chest and smother him.
- Anchor dissolves against down blocks and combination blocks from the run game, getting washed inside and abandoning his gap.
- Hands arrive late at the point of attack. Tackles with quick sets consistently win first contact and control the engagement.
- Durability is a legitimate red flag: high-ankle sprains to both ankles early in his career, then soft-tissue issues as a senior.
- Taller tackles with active hands can widen his rush arc and ride him past the pocket when he loses leverage and stands up.
Scouting Report: Summary
Thomas is a pass rush weapon, full stop. That first-step explosion, the ability to bend the corner at absurd angles, and the violent speed-to-power conversion are traits that translate directly to Sundays. Watch the 2024 Auburn tape or the fourth-quarter sack against South Carolina and you see a player who can take over a game when it matters most. There is no manufacturing that kind of burst or that kind of competitive fire. He has it or he does not, and Thomas has it in spades.The limitations are real and they narrow his path. At 249 pounds with shorter arms, he is going to struggle holding up against the run in a traditional four-down front. Stronger offensive linemen will move him off his spot, and the injury history raises fair questions about whether his body can hold up to a 17-game schedule plus playoffs. He needs a defensive coordinator who understands how to deploy him rather than asking him to be something he is not on early downs. An odd-front scheme with a wider alignment gives him space to operate and reduces the physical punishment he absorbs at the point of attack.
The ceiling is tantalizing: a dynamic edge rusher who wrecks game plans on passing downs and develops enough functional strength to stay on the field for all three downs. The floor is still valuable: a high-end situational rusher who terrorizes quarterbacks in obvious passing situations and forces offenses to account for his speed every snap he is on the field. Either way, the team that drafts him needs to commit to a plan that features his rush ability and shields his weaknesses. In the right system with a smart rotation, Thomas can be a difference-maker from day one.
R Mason Thomas percentiles vs other Defensive Ends (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate R Mason Thomas (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
46.7
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
14.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.