Shamarko Thomas (SU Athletics)
Former Syracuse safety Shamarko Thomas is impressing teams at this week's NFL Combine. Thomas showed off his athleticism, speed and strength today for all NFL Scouts.
Thomas’ stock is on the rise after his exceptional workouts. He ran the 40-yard dash with an official time of 4.42 seconds, which proved to be fastest for all safeties.
The standout also displayed his strength in the bench press competition, lifting 225 pounds an incredible 28 times. Once again, sitting atop his position.
Another workout was the broad jump, where Thomas soared himself a whopping 11 feet and 1 inch. He was only one of three players to surpass the 11 foot mark. Thomas’ vertical jump eclipsed 40.5 inches, which tied with LSU’s SEC first-teamer Eric Reid.
According to NFL.com, NFL Scouts are impressed with Thomas’ blitzing skills off the edge and his ability to change direction in order to make a play. The hard-hitting, speedy safety does lack the height of a typical NFL defensive back, but his skill-set makes him a potential starter for an NFL team.
The 5-foot-9, 213-pounder is seen as a safety with the mentality of a fierce linebacker. Thomas’ tough hitting ability has been on display throughout his career at Syracuse University. Thomas was initially projected as a late round pick, but after his performance at the combine, he could move up to a mid-round draft pick.
