Xavier Thomas, EDGE Clemson: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Thomas was a five-star recruit from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in the class of 2018

Clemson defensive end Xavier Thomas is a former top high school recruit entering his fifth year with the Tigers. Injuries prevented Thomas from reaching his peak during his first four seasons, but the South Carolina native has the physical tools to play himself into the top 100 selections of the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Xavier Thomas, EDGE Clemson: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Graduate (fifth year) defensive end from Florence, S.C.

Background: Thomas was a five-star recruit from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 3 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 5 for Rivals, and No. 4 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 4th in the nation with a 94 grade out of 100. Thomas enrolled at IMG Academy after three years at Wilson High School (Florence, S.C.). As a high school senior, he totaled 34 tackles and eight tackles for loss while helping IMG Academy to a 9-0 record. As a sophomore, Thomas amassed 70 tackles, nine sacks, and 13 tackles for loss along with 568 yards and eight touchdowns on 59 carries. During his freshman season, the South Carolina native tallied 59 tackles, eight sacks, 21 tackles for loss, and 21 quarterback pressures. Thomas received the Anthony Muñoz Award for 2017 as the best lineman in high school football at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl banquet. He participated in the U.S. Army All-American Game. He earned a degree in criminal justice in December 2020 and is pursuing a graduate degree in athletic leadership. Thomas was born on Dec. 20, 1999.

2021 Production: 12 games, 21 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 40 pressures, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass defensed

2020 Production: 7 games, 6 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 6 pressures, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble

2019 Production: 12 games, 27 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 27 pressures, 1.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 passes defensed

2018 Production: 15 games, 33 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 26 pressures, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 passes defensed

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed three games in 2019, missed five games in 2020 recovering from COVID-19 and strep throat, missed one game in 2021, suffered a foot injury in August that required surgery ahead of the 2022 season

Awards: 2018 First-Team Freshman All-American, 2019 Third-Team All-ACC, 2021 Third-Team All-ACC

Pros: Special teams experience on every unit except for punt coverage, closing speed to make plays as the backside defensive end, good initial get-off with an explosive step, found success with speed rushes early in his career, linear burst leads to plays in pursuit, low and dense frame, ability to play multiple positions full-time and rotate in for minimal snaps along the defensive interior, motor runs hot with the ball in his sight, strong hands and grip strength, active hands at the line to generate PBUs, violent finisher, sudden athlete with quick acceleration from zero to 50, burst to beat pulling guards on run plays, made one-on-one tackles against running backs bouncing outside

Cons: Age, significant injury history, missed tackles are a concern, gets slowed by blocking tight ends or running backs too often, hard to tell if injuries have sapped some of his explosiveness, lacks elite bend in his lower half to flatten at the top of his rush, gets stuck on blocks in the running game too often as he struggles to disengage and redirect, lacks high-end arm length, pass rush tool box is incomplete at the moment, you wish he had more moves and counters considering his level of experience, needs to be more physically imposing when attempting to anchor or set the edge, still relies heavily on physical tools over refinement, many of his best plays come when he’s given space to pursue the ball instead of playing through a lineman, lacks significant experience in coverage

Overview: Thomas is unofficially listed at 6'2", 255 lbs. The fifth-year edge rusher generated pressure on 17.3% of his rush attempts in 2018 and 14.1% of his attempts in 2021. Thomas is a dense, well-built player who lacks outstanding height or arm length. He possesses explosive get-off that led to some eye-opening moments early in his career. Thomas’ first step allows him to beat tackles around their outside shoulders. He’s also quick enough to beat pulling guards and has the high motor and linear speed to generate tackles for loss as the backside defender on running plays. The former five-star recruit is a punishing tackler who rattles offensive players without drawing penalties. There are also moments of sudden stop-start acceleration on Thomas’ tape. Unfortunately, the South Carolina native is often injured and could even miss Clemson’s opening games this season with a recent foot injury that required surgery. Thomas lacks elite bend and length. Despite his hot motor in pursuit, he often gets stuck on blocks against the run and struggles to generate backward movement against linemen. Thomas still relies heavily on his physical gifts and has shown limited growth in terms of building an arsenal of pass rush moves and counters.

Overall, Thomas is an explosive athlete with an elite pedigree dating back to his time in high school. Unfortunately, injuries have prevented him from fully benefiting from his prolonged stay at Clemson. Thomas possesses physical limitations that he’s failed to offset with technical savvy. He projects as a Day 3 developmental rotational edge rusher with some scheme versatility depending on what weight he plays at.

Role & Scheme Fit: Defensive end in a 4-3 scheme or designated pass rushing outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme

Round Projection: Mid Fourth to Early Fifth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 08-20-22