Overview:
Position: Safety
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 205
School: Colorado Buffaloes
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.60 seconds
Bench press: 17 reps
Vertical jump: 32.5 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 9 inches
Three-cone drill: 7.11 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.36 seconds
Tedric Thompson 2017 NFL Draft Profile
Tedric Thompson is looking to be the second of his family to reach the NFL. His brother, Cedric was a fifth-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2015. While he has yet to make an impact in the NFL, it is safe to say that Tedric has football in his blood.
Thompson was a wide receiver and safety coming out of high school. Some questions about where he would play, and being a bit raw in both positions made Thompson a three-star recruit and had him a bit under recruited. However, he made the most of it when he got to Colorado. Thompson started in three games at safety as a true freshman, putting up 33 tackles on the season. In 2014, as a sophomore, Thompson put up 56 tackles and an interception in eight games. His season was cut short by concussion issues, but he had clearly won his starting safety job for 2015.
In 2015, Thompson played in every game for the Buffaloes. He put up 63 tackles to go with three interceptions and five pass break-ups. While it was a strong season, his senior year was the one that had NFL eyes on him. He put up 63 tackles again, but this year combined that with seven interceptions and 16 pass break-ups. It really showed in his improved ability to read the quarterback and make plays on the ball. Thompson, along with his secondary teammates Chidobe Awuzie and Ahkello Witherspoon were named to the second team All-Pac 12. The combined effort gave Colorado a ten-win season, as many wins as the first three seasons Thompson saw in Colorado combined. With his growing improvement season to season, the question becomes how high is his NFL ceiling?
Strengths
- Reads the quarterback well;
- A solid bet as a two-deep safety;
- Plays the ball, not the man;
- Can make catches in traffic;
- Good athlete;
- Strong ability to make breaks on the ball.
Weaknesses
- Questionable long speed;
- Not a sideline to sideline player;
- Doesn’t attack the run with the same aggression as the pass;
- Takes bad pursuit angles;
- Concussion issues in the past.
NFL Comparison: Andre Hal
Teams with needs at position: Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams
Projection: Third or Fourth Round
Bottom Line
Thompson may not be very scheme diverse. He has center field impacts and quarterback reading abilities. However, he does not have the speed, and ability to run sideline to sideline and protect the deep portion of the field. His best abilities will come in cover-2 or two-deep schemes. He can take away half of the field and read, react and make plays on the ball. That is where he is at his best.
Thompson will struggle in the run game, and his lack of physicality should be noted, especially with his concussion history. He can get wide receivers on the ground, but it is not pretty at times. He is at his best in the passing game and making plays on the ball. It limits his overall ability and will push him into the mid-rounds. However, if he can be thrust into the right scheme, he can thrive as a starter in the NFL.
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