2017 NFL Draft KC Chiefs Scouting Report: Solomon Thomas

The 2017 NFL Draft will bring a lot of questions to the KC Chiefs when it comes to what position they want to address early on. Could Solomon Thomas of Stanford fall to them at pick 27?

This is a unique year in the NFL Draft with the defensive class being far superior than the offensive class. The third scouting report of the draft season is Solomon Thomas, a defensive end, out of Stanford.

Spending two seasons on the gridiron for the Cardinal, Thomas recorded 98 total tackles, 24.5 being for loss, 12 sacks, and four fumble recoveries. The guy was a monster for Stanford during the 2015 and 2016 seasons and will give whatever team drafts him an immediate playmaker on the defensive side of the ball.

Thomas is a little shorter than most would prefer at the defensive end position, but the guy is definitely ready to compete in the NFL. He has the ability to be a dominant pass rusher, which is something that the Kansas City Chiefs need to build on. Their pass rush was nearly non-existent in 2016.

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Mel Kiper Jr. had Thomas landing with the Cincinnati Bengals with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, and that seems about right.

While CBS Sports projects Thomas as the third best prospect, it’s unlikely that he’ll be a top three pick. A quarterback will get taken somewhere up there, I’m sure just due to the importance of the position.

So, long story short, the possibility of Solomon Thomas becoming a Chief is unlikely. Even if he were available, the Chiefs have a plethora of starters at the defensive end position, but depth would be the reason they’d take a guy like Thomas. Well, that and he’d be a great addition to their lack of pass rush.

Here is what Kiper had say about his choice of having the Bengals take Thomas (Quote courtesy of Jason Marcum of the Cincy Jungle),

"Thomas, one of the biggest risers of the year, had eight sacks in 2016. At 6-3, 270, he could move inside and play tackle, too. The Bengals need pass-rushing help — they had only 33 total sacks in a disappointing 2016 — and this is a good draft for edge rushers."

With this being such a good draft for edge rushers, the Chiefs will have several other opportunities to find another guy to beat up on the quarterback.

Next: Mel Kiper Says a Quarterback is Coming to Kansas City

He’s not on my co-editor Ben Almquist’s big board, but a lot of that could be due to him being such a highly touted prospect.

What do you think of Solomon Thomas, Chiefs Kingdom?

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