BUST-O-METER
BUST-O-METER: Demaryius Thomas
The NFL Draft is suppose to be a time where teams fill their rosters with young promising players that will ensure success in the future, unfortunately this isn’t always the case. Year in and Year out players are selected and fail to live up to their potential and are labeled BUSTS. These Busts could potentially have a crippling affect on a franchises future. Some of the more famous draft Busts are Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith, Lawrence Phillips, and Ki-Jana Carter. How a bust is determined is too undefined to get into details about.
A prime example is the 6 straight losing seasons following the Bengals failure to develop Akili Smith into a capable NFL starter. Compare that to the 6 straight winning seasons produced by the Chargers after drafting Phillip Rivers in 2004. Of course these players are not solely responsible for their team’s success or failures but they did have a major impact.
After looking over the players projected to go in the first round I was amazed how many gave me an uneasy feeling. I am going to start a weekly BUST-O-METER and examine those players who I feel have the biggest red flags. I encourage that all the readers get involved and suggest potential busts of the week. You can email me by clicking the mail link by my user profile. I also encourage good conversation on the comment sections. Leave comments to help me feel better about a player or continue to add on the pile.
Player:
Demaryius Thomas- WR- Georgia Tech
BUST-O-METER:
6 out of 10
Thoughts:
If there was a Hype-O-Meter Demaryius Thomas would break the meter, not even an injury limiting his workouts has lowered the hype. Thomas has benefited from the Draft process and being mentioned as a first round candidate. Teams love his size (6-3 229 lbs.), leaping ability, and body control. Thomas is able to out jump most defensive backs and uses his body to put him in the best position to make a reception. While at Georgia Tech he was often matched up against the team’s best cornerback because he was the only real receiving threat. This past season Thomas had 46 receptions for 1,154 yards and 8 touchdowns. Probably the most impressive stat was his 25.1 yards per catch. As impressive as Thomas is there are some questions. Unfortunately for Thomas most of the questions are related to the offense that was run at Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech’s offense is a run first offense without a sophisticated passing attach. Thomas wasn’t asked to run complicated pro style routes and this will be a hurtle for his transition into the NFL. At Georgia Tech Thomas was ask to run basic routes such as drags, bubble screens, and go routes. In the NFL he will be asked to run more complicated routes and also read more complicated defenses for holes. The wide receiver position has historically come with a learning curve because most players are not use to finding holes in coverages. There are also questions about Thomas’s top end speed and ability to beat defenders 1 on 1.
Potential Teams: Bengals team needs; Rams team needs; Buccaneers team needs; Jets team needs; Ravens team needs; Patriots team needs
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