2018 NFL Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers 7-round mock
By Conor Dorney
The Steelers continue with the defensive trend in round two with one of the most athletic edge prospects in the class, Miami’s Chad Thomas.
Thomas (6-foot-5, 277 pounds) registered 11+ sacks in each of his final two seasons with the Hurricanes and figures to hear his name called on Day 2 of the draft. He is able to use his outstanding length (34-inch arm length) and is one of the most fluid athletes for the position in this class.
There are still some raw elements to Thomas’ game but with the recent hire of Alabama defensive line coach Karl Dunbar to the same position with Pittsburgh, there are plenty of reasons to believe that Thomas’ potential can be unlocked once he reaches the NFL level. A potential combination of T.J. Watt and Thomas on the edge seems awfully enticing proposition for defensive coordinator Keith Butler and a Steelers defense who finished first in the NFL in sacks in 2017.
Perhaps even more interesting than Thomas’ talents on the field are his musical talents off the field. If all goes well for Thomas and the Steelers, we could eventually see a 21st century version of the “Super Bowl Shuffle.”