Atlanta Falcons: Michael Thomas the WR they need?

The Atlanta Falcons biggest needs heading into the offseason are on the defensive side of the ball, but Matt Ryan also needs a real No. 2 wide receiver badly, which is why some have mocked the likes of Corey Coleman and Josh Doctson to the Falcons in the first round.

Coleman and Doctson are excellent wide receiver prospects who would help the Atlanta Falcons out, and, recently, attention has turned to Braxton Miller as a potential draft pick for Atlanta. It seems like most people would prefer the Falcons to address their needs on defense, perhaps by picking a different Ohio State product in Darron Lee, and take a wide receiver in the second or third round, which is what makes the freakishly athletic and rising Miller such an attractive option.

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Of course, while Miller is ascending as quickly as any other prospect due to his ability to rapidly learn the nuances of the position, Michael Thomas is still cemented as the top wide receiver prospect from the Buckeyes program. He’s locked in as one of the top five wide receivers in the class, though opinions vary when ranking the likes of Thomas, Sterling Shepard, Doctson, Coleman, and consensus No. 1 WR prospect Laquon Treadwell, who could be the fourth overall pick to the Dallas Cowboys.

Thomas, however, is my personal favorite, and it isn’t just because of those crazy double-moves he pulled on Kendall Fuller in the first game of the 2015 college football season.

As the amazing Matt Waldman of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio  shows in the video below, Thomas is a technically gifted wide receiver, which is part of the reason why he’s capable of beating cornerbacks with stunning moves like the ones above. While those moves are great and could have a place on an NFL field, the issue is that this one play isn’t as translatable as the quick, refined, and efficient movements  Thomas shows below in the same game.

It’s hard to go wrong with a player who has Miller’s ceiling and physical tools or a player with Coleman’s explosiveness, but if the Falcons decide to spend a first-round pick on a wide receiver, I can’t help but think that Thomas might be their best bet. If he’s available in the second round, they would be crazy to pass up on him (assuming they took a defensive player in the first round), but, well, I don’t envision him lasting that long.

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Thomas doesn’t just win with savvy in his routes, because he’s also great at the catch point. He isn’t the most agile player after the catch, and he isn’t the fastest player with the ball in his hands either. However, he can hit that next gear with some field in front of him, and he isn’t easy to take down.

Rotoworld’s Josh Norris has compared this Thomas’s game to Denver Broncos No. 1 wideout Demaryius Thomas’s style of play, and it’s a good comparison. While I don’t think the possible first-round pick is as athletically gifted or on the same level overall as the Broncos superstar, he is, at worst, a solid No. 2 wide receiver who can win downfield, with the ball in the air, and, most prominently, on shorter routes.

I’m sure Thomas’s draft stock will largely depend on how he tests, but his ability to get open quickly while simultaneously stretching the field has to be appealing to the Falcons. Julio Jones is probably the second-best receiver in the game behind Antonio Brown, but he needs more help from an outside guy. Last year’s WR pick, Justin Hardy, has promise as a developing slot receiver, but the Falcons need someone with more explosiveness and who is stronger at the catch point on the outside.

Thomas can be the “Z” to Jones’s “X” as someone who owns the intermediate game, and he would take pressure off of both Jones and Ryan. Not only will the latter have an upgraded No. 2 receiver, but Thomas’s ability to get separation against tight coverage with his excellent release off the line of scrimmage could make him a safe option for the accurate QB. Additionally, because he has strong hands, good awareness, and strength at the catch point, Ryan wouldn’t have to worry about Thomas making costly mistakes or failing to come down with a well-thrown ball.

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Teams looking for a No. 1 wide receiver might take issue with Thomas’s age, less-than-elite speed and agility, and supposed lack of upside. The other impressive receivers in this class could fit a specific team better, but when it comes to the Falcons, I think their best bet is to go with someone who wins consistently with his routes but is still advanced enough physically to be a difference-maker. Had he been used more often by Ohio State last season, Thomas would be praised more often by fans.

If you want to fall head-over-heels for Thomas, then check out this video from Bolts From The Blue’s Kyle Posey.

Good lord, that man has quick feet and even quicker mental processing.