Draft rumors run rampant this time of year as players
projected draft positions rise and fall (some more than others). Defensive end Thibodeaux is a 6-4, 254-pound
edge rusher and per Detroit Lion head coach Dan Campbell, “an explosive
athlete and he’s a playmaker. He’s got a good, quick first step… he’s something
else. He’s pretty special on tape.”
Still, Thibodeaux has been projected anywhere from the first
player selected in the draft to being picked in the latter half of the 1st
round (Recent projections are Aidan Hutchinson, another defensive end, will go
number one to Jacksonville). Why the
questions on Thibodeaux? His work ethic
has been questioned. The key is to hear
the “signal through the noise.” Those
questions might be coming from sources that might want Thibodeaux to drop… to
their point in the draft.
Per Thibodeaux at last month’s NFL scouting combine “I
feel like everyone has a job… For me, I feel like, when you have a smart kid
like me, you have a lot of positives, someone has to find the negatives… I’m
not really too worried about what people have to say as far as that, as long as
the teams and I can come to an understanding of who I am and how hard [I play],
and the love I have for the game.”
Per Thibodeaux at last week’s pro day "The most ridiculous thing I've
heard is that I'm not the best player in this draft," Thibodeaux told
reporters following his pro day (he’s an Oregon Duck). “I’m a chess player, so I’m thinking moves
ahead (like) how can I set the game and dictate what the offensive tackle does…
chess is football… Pass rush, I’m gonna hit you with speed… And that’s gonna
set up my power moves, and then my power moves are gonna set up my counter.
It’s a heavyweight match.”
Thibodeaux has been invited by the Eagles for one of their
(maximum of 30) pre-draft visits. The
Eagles have selections at 15, 16 and 19 of the first round.
As one of the top 4 or 5 edge
rushers in this draft, it is unlikely Thibodeaux will get past the Eagles
selection at 15… If he gets that far.
Guess here is he’s easily a top 10 pick, perhaps as high as #2 to
Detroit, who has some inside info on Thibodeaux… Detroit’s first rounder last
year was a teammate… Offensive Tackle Penei Sewell. Per Sewell, "He’s very athletic, so
he gave me a run for my money come practice days," Sewell said Wednesday. "It
was a battle… you can already see he has it all."
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