You May Not Be Able To Teach Tall, But You Sure Can’t Teach Speed
April 13th, 2026
Oklahoma edge R Mason Thomas devours former Alabama QB Jalen Milroe.
Joe has been studying edge rushers for the draft next week — next week!
(Shows you Joe’s life: Most dudes in Florida in April study chicks at the beach; Joe studies dudes leveling quarterbacks.)
It irks Joe that so many analysts put R Mason Thomas down for his size. The crazy good Oklahoma edge rusher is so damn quick. And he racked up sacks in the SEC, 15.5 the past two years. It didn’t seem like size mattered there.
Thomas is 6-2, 241 pounds. Wasn’t Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett considered smallish? He was 6-2, 250. You don’t think a couple of extra Cuban sandwiches a week and a full year in an NFL weight room that Thomas couldn’t put on nine pounds?
Knocking Thomas for his size, in Joe’s mind, is analysis by paralysis.
Here’s what Dane Brugler of The Athletic typed about Thomas in his massive draft guide “The Beast.”
SUMMARY
A two-year starter at Oklahoma, Thomas lined up on the edge (left and right, stand-up and hand on the ground) in head coach Brent Venables’ hybrid defensive front. He announced himself as a future early-round draft pick with his 2024 performance versus LSU left tackle Will Campbell and put numerous splash plays on both his junior and senior tapes (averaged 2.7 pressures per game over the past two seasons).As a pass rusher, Thomas is an explosive athlete who can win high-side with bend or treat blockers like practice sleds with leveraged speed to power. He plays with grit, but his lack of length shows in the run game, which leads to missed tackles and contain issues. His athletic range and determined hands are assets for him, though. Overall, Thomas is an undersized edge defender who combines first-step quickness with violent play strength and closing burst and never quits working to the football. His ability to vary his rush tempo leads to disruption and will help him find a meaningful role in the NFL.
Well, Joe is pretty sure (wishful thinking?) Bucs coach Todd Bowles would only use Thomas on passing downs if he is not great against the run. But damnit, when is this team going to start prioritizing rushing the quarterback?
Brugler projects Thomas as a second-round pick. Joe would be very happy if the Bucs bring Thomas to Tampa Bay. Hopefully, someone can convince Bowles to use Thomas only as a pass rusher.
R Mason Thomas Cut Ups https://t.co/j7QIQ91k7D pic.twitter.com/1SXc9V0Qyo
— jeremiah🐦⬛ (@NewEraMiah) February 16, 2026
April 13th, 2026 at 9:14 am
All I’m going to say about these undersized pass rushers is that there are fewer of these dudes that make an impact at the NFL level vs those that actually have the prototypical measurables. Everyone points to the exceptions, and the reality is we’re not that lucky. Once their youth fades, their tricks and moves can’t keep up with their bodies declining. Shaq was not that old when the fell of the map, vs. JPP who showed to be more effective even at an advanced age.
Let’s see how Walker does… I hated the pick, eventhough he was a 4th rounder. Most fans were biting back at me when I was complaining about his size, yet arguing the point that we drafted Derek Brooks with similar measurables, smh. We’re asking for a guy listed at 6-0/6-1 to come off the edge consistently, applying pressure. He just seems like a situational OLB. Let’s hope he pans out in this spruced up rotation.
April 13th, 2026 at 9:14 am
He looks like a helluva pass rushing specialist to me…
April 13th, 2026 at 9:20 am
Would be a nice pickup in the 2nd. And it’s paralysis by analysis.
April 13th, 2026 at 9:20 am
Getting a Stud Edge Rusher that other Teams have to actually worry and plan for is something this team has not had since the Shaq days. If this Team can improve the Putrid Pass Defense via a Stud Rookie Edge guy-it might make Todd look like he actually knows what he’s doing. Maybe. lol
April 13th, 2026 at 9:21 am
Don’t worry, Joe. Our defensive mastermind is on the job.
April 13th, 2026 at 9:26 am
Yea, he’s a stud. Its a crying shame our DC sucks and can’t take advantage of opportunities to get guys like this. What else is there to say?
April 13th, 2026 at 9:28 am
I like this guy over Messidor only because Miami is in the crappy ACC
April 13th, 2026 at 9:40 am
On face value, this is very fair.
But Joe also saw what Mesidor did in the playoffs and against Notre Dame, teams that would mop the floor with the ACC. 😳
April 13th, 2026 at 9:44 am
LOVE THIS KID!!!!!!…his motor is unbelievable and he has skills!!!!
bowles will have him dropping into coverage far too often because TODD wants to produce sacks, not his players
-trade down
-select OG round1
-Mason Thomas-DE/OLB round 2
-Darrell Jackson Jr -DT round 3
we’ll be cooking with gas
GO BUCS!!!!
April 13th, 2026 at 9:47 am
He’s waaaay better than overrated Faulk. Faulk < Logan Hall
April 13th, 2026 at 9:50 am
Can he cover? Giving Bowles more edge rushers is a waste of time.
April 13th, 2026 at 9:56 am
Is he an explosive athlete or a football player who loves the game? You can be both, but watch out for the check cashers who are only athletes.
April 13th, 2026 at 10:01 am
Dream draft for me would be a trade down into the 20s and draft J Rodriguez. Picking up an extra 2nd or 3rd round pick. In round 2 draft Thomas.
Edge and Lber set after 2 rounds. Then go BPA at guard, CB and Lber the rest of the draft. Maybe a TE and or WR.
April 13th, 2026 at 10:03 am
He’d be great playing for any team with a real head coach and a modern full time defensive coordinator. If he comes to the Bucs he will suck.
April 13th, 2026 at 10:15 am
Joe … ‘Hopefully, someone can convince Bowles to use Thomas only as a pass rusher.’
With only 5-6 OLBs on a team, it’s hard to imagine saving a spot for a situational OLB. Yes there are obvious passing situations (maybe like 3rd-and-28 or 4th-and-14?) but I’m not sure situations like that aren’t the exceptions rather than the rule. Today’s NFL offenses seem to be striving for better ‘balance’ so that play selection isn’t that obvious.
I’m just not enamoured with situational players; prefer more ‘versatility’. Thomas (6’2″ & 241 lbs) runs a 4.67 sec 40; he had 6.5 sacks in 2025 & 9 sacks in 2024. Walter Football has him as their #8 OLB, but right below him at #9 is Michigan’s Derrick Moore (6’2″ & 243 lbs) … virtually the same size, but he runs a much faster 40 (4.54 secs). And oh ya, he had 5 sacks in 2025 and 4 sacks in 2024 against some pretty decent competition.
Or could move down a couple more to Clemson’s DJ Parker (6’3″ & 265 lbs) who ran a 4.68 sec 40 yd. He had 5 sacks in 2025, 11 sacks in 2024 and 5.5 sacks in 2023 as a freshman. That’s not too shabby IMO, and I like his size much better.
April 13th, 2026 at 10:36 am
Being that Bowles (most definitely) and Licht (to a lesser extent) need to win now, they’ll probably take Akheem Mesidor in the 1st Round, if they feel he’s ready to excel in 2026. If that’s the case, they’ll probably go ILB with the 2nd Round pick.
April 13th, 2026 at 10:40 am
Yes, Bowles should use his pass rushers to RUSH THE PASSER. Put your guys in the best position to succeed, not Anthony Nelson (4.82 40) trying to cover James Cook (4.42 40).
April 13th, 2026 at 10:52 am
Will Anderson, 6’4, 253lbs. So 2″ and 12 lbs make a difference? I’m not comparing him to Anderson but lets get real here, if the player has the tape for consistency then he’s gonna show at the next level. Getting caught in all these measurables is foolish. The great Alan Page was 6′ 4″ but 245. Played in a different time against smaller lineman but you don’t think he wouldn’t be a great player today? We could do a lot worse than to get McDaniels from OSU and this guy in the same draft. Now throw in Hill from Texas or the lineman from Florida if not chronically injured or any combo and that would be a fantastic haul.
April 13th, 2026 at 11:06 am
We need him for his fight alone. Just keeps going, doesn’t he!?
April 13th, 2026 at 11:18 am
The Bucs need a 3 down OLB
OLBs are labeled as Edge Rushers, but they are still Linebackers
And they have more responsibilities than rushing the passer
A one Trick Pony won’t see the field in a 3-4 defense
I rather have a young solid 3 down OLB like Clemson T.J Parker
April 13th, 2026 at 11:28 am
We are going to be treated to another Coach Bowzo average year. Nothing will change…I think we get 7 wins. He is devolving. 7-10
April 13th, 2026 at 11:35 am
Me reading all this, while realizing Cashius Howell is sliding down boards and is falling into a trade back range where we can get him and still land one of the top ILBs 20-26 picks later
April 13th, 2026 at 12:09 pm
R Mason Thomas is a force. Its the injury history – nicked up enough a few times to miss games – that slightly worries me. Especially since NFL opponents will be bugger faster and hit him a helluva lot harder. Perhaps that risk is inherent to the game itself across the board (?). Bottom line is would be happy if R Mason Thomas was wearing a Bucs uniform.
Edge has several good prospects this year of different flavors if we went other direction early. Gabe Lucas, Keyron Crawford, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Joshua Josephs, couple others that show promise.
April 13th, 2026 at 12:32 pm
” Never quits working to the football “. That quality alone would be hugely improved compared to Reddick who never quit LOAFING.
April 13th, 2026 at 1:03 pm
Top ten sack leaders in 2025 were all 6’3 or taller.
Just throwing it out there.
April 13th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
A lot of defensive players look great until they get into Bowles system.
As Joe states, his next DE he develops will be his first.
How he was able to keep his job is beyond my comprehension.
It’s one thing to be a bad HC, and another to be a bad DC. To be bad at both jobs at the same time is kind of a skill.
Love that culture!!!!
April 13th, 2026 at 1:24 pm
Mesidor is already developed so the joe that’s always going on about never developing an edge with mesidor you don’t have to worry too much about that.
April 13th, 2026 at 1:55 pm
There are lots of good potential Edge/DE that should be available in the 2nd round
Individuals from
OU
TX A&M
UCF
ILL
and more
April 13th, 2026 at 2:37 pm
Don’t be surprised on draft night if J. Love drops to the 15 pick. If that happens it puts Bucs in driver’s seat to trade back.
April 13th, 2026 at 3:03 pm
I like how this guys bends the corner he looks like a problem
April 13th, 2026 at 3:20 pm
Smoke Porterhouse Says:
April 13th, 2026 at 10:40 am
Yes, Bowles should use his pass rushers to RUSH THE PASSER. Put your guys in the best position to succeed, not Anthony Nelson (4.82 40) trying to cover James Cook (4.42 40).
———–
There is no way Nelson has cracked 5.0 since his workout, he’s slow, slow and more slow.
As for Thomas, I wasn’t super impressed by his tape, but he’s also viewed more as a 2nd round pick, and I’d have no issues taking him there if he’s still on the board.
April 13th, 2026 at 5:03 pm
After Mesidor, Thomas offers the most disruption available in this draft. He is a three down OLB albeit with limitations in the run game. He will get washed and long armed sometimes but he is also going to make his share of plays in the backfield. He and Mesidor both get buried in the guts of OTs at times as a side effect of their furious styles but like Joe wrote- you can’t teach the type of play speed Thomas has.
My favorite thing about R. Mason Thomas is the lines he takes to the QB. The first sack in the above highlights is about as round an arc as you’ll see him take. The kid gets home with lightning speed- Not the speed evident in his 10 yard split but how his transmission can shift from bendy speed to real power to maintain his momentum and path to the QB.
That sack he has against Auburn in those highlights where he wears that extra chunky OT #73 like a cape while he plows straight through to the QB is borderline supernatural. The way he left that OT spinning on his back is a thing of beauty. He may only weigh 240 but he has that “get off the tracks- a train is coming” ability that great pass rushers have in spades.
I want the best interior rusher in the draft first. That is Mesidor. If the Bucs land him it doesn’t mean they can’t go get Thomas too. YaYa will hopefully be getting paid big somewhere else in 2027 and Muhammad is a band aid. If they miss Thomas pick Derrick Moore. I’d like two pass rushers by the end of day 2.
April 13th, 2026 at 5:29 pm
I would say Diaby has developed nicely. And his win rate numbers continue to rise so it’s possible a big rise in sack numbers is coming.
April 13th, 2026 at 6:00 pm
Also, Thomas’s footage looks a lot like David Walker’s footage. If you haven’t seen his (Walker’s) highlight reels the guy’s legs are like a blur. There’s sacks where Walker gets like 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage instantaneously. It’s like he teleports he’s so quick. I hope that translates to the Bucs because if he still moves like that, look out. He had a great Senior Bowl week.
Of course, if we had Walker on one side and Thomas on the other and knew it was a pass play that would be really scary for a couple OT’s….
April 13th, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Diaby has developed and I expect him to have a very productive 2026. He is a solid #2 3-4 OLB but no way should the Bucs pay him $100 million on a long term deal. Bowles has been saying for years that Diaby needs to learn to finish. He isn’t learning. Whether that is on the coaching staff or the player or both I can’t say but its not getting done. Simeon Rice offered his coaching services- YaYa just smiled his trademark grin and again showed no real improvement. Straight up- he isn’t exactly cerebral and the Bucs can get more from a draftee for $20 million less per year for the next 4-5 years.
He is the best the Bucs have drafted in a long time at the position, but he is not a leader or even a pillar of the Bucs’ efforts at defense. He is just happy to be here. Let him be happy to be somewhere else especially if he goes off for double digit sacks because he isn’t worth the cap space.
April 13th, 2026 at 8:46 pm
Love bend
April 13th, 2026 at 8:46 pm
RD1 Trade down
RD1 McDonald
Use extra pick from trade down to get additional RD2 pick, even if it means giving up an additional lower round pick.
RD2 In no particular order
RD2 Best available Edge
RD2 Best available ILB
April 13th, 2026 at 11:12 pm
Zoocomics Says:
“…vs. JPP who showed to be more effective…”
Here’s some irony…JPP went with the 15th pick to the giants in 2010.
April 14th, 2026 at 12:18 am
YaYa Diaby has a year left. He’s averaging 6 sacks per year right? That’s not big money value…but it is a contract year. Let him play it out.