Top guard prospect Brandon Thomas tears ACL
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| Ken Ruinard |
Source: Clemson lineman Brandon Thomas tore ACL during private workout for Saints http://t.co/i3kTG2xjUB via @footballpost
— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) April 8, 2014
It's a tough break for Thomas and one that recalls the story of current Patriot Marcus Canon. Like Canon, Thomas spent the majority of his college career playing tackle, but scouts generally agree that he has a higher NFL upside at guard. Like Canon, Thomas was viewed as a second round prospect before having a major medical red flag unexpectedly pop up (in Canon's case, it was a lymphoma diagnosis that caused him to miss the majority of his rookie year).
Canon wound up falling all the way to the fifth round, where he was snapped up by the Patriots. He's gone on to be solid for them as a third tackle, although I've argued he'd be better utilized at guard.
Thomas will most likely experience a similar fall, which could make him a great value pick in the later rounds of the draft. The Patriots could stand to restock the pipeline with some youth in the interior offensive line, as they have little proven depth behind 32 year old Logan Mankins and Dan Connolly. If drafted, Thomas would come into a redshirt situation in 2014 before hitting the field the following year, where his athleticism could make him a fit in the Patriots blocking schemes.
The Patriots roster certainly appears to be well-rounded enough for the team to afford spending a later round pick on a high upside prospect who won't be able to help this year. Instead of using that fifth or sixth round pick on a fifth or sixth round caliber player, they'd be essentially adding a second-round caliber player to next year's draft haul.
