Zachary Thomas is a sufficient-level athlete with regards to body control and agility. In the run game, he doesn’t generate vertical movement and is more of a positional blocker. He does show good temperament and finish. In the passing game, he has been good for the college level of football. He plays with good football IQ and is a sufficient reactor to twists inside. He appears to have sufficient arm length and could become more consistent with his hand placement. He has sufficient power in his punch and latch strength in his hands. In the NFL, he is ideally suited on the interior but has the ability to get you out of a game at one of the tackle positions. He could afford to add more mass to his frame and will be valuable to a team largely due to his football instincts and ability to play multiple roles.

Ideal Role: Developmental interior player with positional versatility

Scheme Fit: Zone-blocking scheme

FILM EVALUATION

Written by Drae Harris

Games watched: SJSU (2021), New Mexico State (2021), Fresno State (2021) Utah (2020)

Best Game Studied: New Mexico State (2021)

Worst Game Studied: Utah (2020)

Balance: At tackle, he projects with just average balance for the NFL. He’s not a great athlete but does a sufficient job of staying on his feet at that level.

Pass Set: His pass set is sufficient on the perimeter for the college level of football. However, he appears to lack the ideal athleticism and skill set to consistently play tackle in the NFL.

Competitive Toughness: He has good competitive toughness. This is evident in his ability to finish in the run game and look for more work at the second level. He comes off the ball to strike in the run game, as well.

Lateral Mobility: He’s a sufficient lateral mover, specifically when reacting to games. He has good anticipatory skills and plays with good awareness. He just isn’t a great athlete and lacks elite reactive athleticism.

Length: He appears to have sufficient length overall. This will not be an issue with his projection to guard. His lack of good length can hinder his ability as a run blocker.

Football IQ: He plays the game with good instincts and football IQ. He has played multiple positions up front. He also plays with good awareness to see twists inside.

Hand Technique: His hand placement could afford to be more consistent. He generally keeps them within the frame but has moments of trying to move a defender he can get them outside.

Anchor: He is sufficiently strong at the point of attack. He easily anchors at the college level of football. However, he doesn’t project to do this with the same effectiveness in the NFL.

Power at POA: He has sufficient power at the point of attack. This is evident in his ability to generate vertical movement in the run game. It also shows in his lack of good punch while in his pass set.

Versatility: He projects with true positional versatility. He has aligned at left tackle during his career and can get you out of a game there in a pinch. However, he projects favorably to kick inside to guard.

SCOUT GRADES

TDN Consensus: 70.00/100 (Fifth Round Value)

Crabbs Grade: 71.00/100

Harris Grade: 69.00/100