The college football season is over; withdrawals, depression, misery. Before you slip into an apathetic stupor for eight months, remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner! From now until April's NFL Draft, I will be profiling some of the more interesting prospects. I can't promise that I'll get to your favorite player, but if you'd like to see a certain player profiled, shoot us an email and let us know.
We continue our discussion on the second best wide receiver in this year's draft class (after Dez Bryant, of course) with a receiver from a school where passing the ball was a forgotten concept. Had he played at Georgia (where he was offered a scholarship) or any other school running a pro style offense, we could be talking about the best wide receiver prospect after this guy...
Demaryius Thomas, pretty much Georgia Tech's only wide receiver for the last two seasons, is big receiver at 6'3 and 224 pounds. He had 46 receptions for 1,154 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. The second leading receiver for the Yellow Jackets was running back Embry Peeples, who recorded 8 receptions for 244 yards (87 of which came off of his only touchdown catch of the season).
Of course, the Yellow Jackets ran the ball on virtually every play in 2009 (792 carries vs. 168 passing attempts), so you could argue that Thomas had the element of surprise on his side. But take a few minutes to watch tape of the big physical receiver and you'll quickly see why he's highly rated on draft boards around the league.
Thomas will draw double teams from NFL safeties because of his size and his deep threat ability. He is deceptively fast because of his long stride and uses both his size and speed to get off the line in a hurry. He also has great timing in terms of leaping over defenders to make the catch. Combine that with his size and strength and Thomas is an ideal target in the end zone.
And I'd be remiss not to mention his exceptional blocking ability (he played at Georgia Tech, remember?). That will prove a very valuable tool for teams looking for a guy who will block downfield to spring their backs to the next level.
One of the concerns about Thomas is his experience in the Georgia Tech offense. There wasn't much variety for the wide receiver and he was not able to develop into an ideal route runner. His coaches will have their hands full with Thomas, who needs to work on making sharper cuts and will be challenged to learn a much more involved passing offense in the NFL.
Thomas is a better deep threat than a short- to mid-range guy. He has the strength and speed to create opportunities underneath, but has not fully utilized or showcased that ability as a Yellow Jacket. As he works on becoming a better route runner, he may develop into more of a well-rounded wide receiver.
Not long before the NFL Combine, Thomas broke his foot preparing for the event. While he's expected to be ready for offseason workouts with whichever team drafts him, the injury prevented him from demonstrating his speed and strength in front of NFL scouts. His draft stock probably took a hit as a result, but Thomas is still one of the top prospects in this year's draft. That much is certain.
Like all wide receivers beyond Bryant, Thomas is projected as a second round pick. Based on his potential at the next level, he stands a better chance of sneaking into the late first round than other prospects at the position, but don't bet the house on it.
There are several teams picking in the second round that could use help at the wide receiver position. The New England Patriots, with three second round picks, are one such team; especially with Randy Moss publically stating that he doesn't expect to be back in Foxboro after next season and with Wes Welker coming off injury.
It's unlikely that Thomas slips into the third round, despite missing pre-draft workouts. - Danny Hobrock
Danny is a sports journalist primarily covering college football and professional baseball. His work for Xtra Point Football has garnered national attention and is critically acclaimed. Danny is the former editor of a political and current events website and the editor of our college football content.
For more player profiles and complete coverage of this Year's NFL Draft, visit our NFL Draft Prospects Home Page with new profiles being added each week.
If you haven't voted in our polls on the site yet please do so. We are trying to get a feel for how our readers are looking at Football so we can write about things they want to hear. The poll questions are:
"Do you think the NCAA should have a Playoff to determine the National Champion rather than the BCS / Bowl System?"
and
"Should the NFL adopt the NCAA method of Overtime or continue to flip a coin for possession and have sudden death?"
Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.
The college football season is over; withdrawals, depression, misery. Before you slip into an apathetic stupor for eight months, remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner! From now until April's NFL Draft, I will be profiling some of the more interesting prospects. I can't promise that I'll get to your favorite player, but if you'd like to see a certain player profiled, 
