As a large crowd gathered at the indoor facility on LSU’s campus to watch three potential top-20 draft picks on Wednesday, the atmosphere was electric.
Indianapolis Colts wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne was one of many NFL coaches who showed up to get an up-close look at quarterback Jayden Daniels and his two favorite playmakers, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.
Thomas stood on the side and watched several of his teammates perform in the workouts, deciding to keep his Combine workout numbers, which included a 38.5″ vertical, 10’6″ broad jump, and a 4.34 40-yard dash. Nabers stole the show early during this period, solidifying himself as a top-10 pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
As the day progressed, the time came that everyone showed up for: the positional workouts for three of the most explosive players in college football. The Heisman Trophy winner, Daniels, put on a great display of arm strength and ball placement. As for the receivers, Thomas showed off more of a route tree than he was able to display in college. He ran in-breakers, out-breakers, comebacks, and deep routes. His release off the line of scrimmage looked powerful, as one of the most impressive parts of his game is his ability to remain explosive as he’s going into his breaks at the top of the route.
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One of the best plays of the day was a 9 route down the far sideline where Daniels launched a throw that Thomas hauled in with his fingers tips. The play was so impressive because it was a beautifully-placed ball that Thomas was able to run underneath. Thomas used every bit of those 32″ arms to make the catch.
Outside of one drop on a high pass, Thomas had a nearly perfect day. Size, elite ball tracking, explosion, sure hands, and slightly raw route running (although I think there’s upside there) are what you get with Thomas, and he showed it Wednesday.
Nabers was special as well. He confirmed what anybody who has watched his tape already knew: he’s an elite route runner who can run any route that a team needs him to. Measuring 6’0″, 199 while running a 40 in the low 4.3s was the icing on the cake.
Nabers will be an instant separator at the next level, with the ability to play the Y or Z role in any offense. He has quick feet, which allows him to release cleanly, and the way he tempos his routes to keep defenders off balance is a joy to watch. He is also a great ball tracker on deep passes and can be a great YAC guy at the next level.
If you were a fan of Daniels, Thomas, or Nabers going into that pro day, then you definitely left excited to think about what any of the three could be at the next level after that great performance they put on.
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Source link : https://www.si.com/nfl/colts/news/colts-lsu-brian-thomas-malik-nabers
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Publish date : 2024-03-28 03:00:00
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