The New York Giants could be getting a steal if they decide to select Miami wide receiver Jeff Thomas in one of the last few rounds in April. Golden Tate, Darius Slayton, and Sterling Shepard are all under contract for next season, but Thomas would be a project guy, not someone who was expected to make a big impact right away. The team could also move on from Tate this offseason with only $5 million in dead cap space.
Thomas was an Under-Armour All American coming out of high school and was a four-star recruit when he signed with the Miami Hurricanes. Thomas' stats weren't great with the Hurricanes, but he still showed flashes of being NFL talent.
As a junior, he finished with 31 receptions for 379 yards and three touchdowns. His best year was in 2018 when he finished with 35 catches for 563 yards and three touchdowns.
Thedraftnetwork.com gave the following review of Thomas's game.
Poor production is a byproduct of some terrible offense at Miami — he's got tremendous quickness and very good hands. Has made a handful of spectacular catches in high point situations and in traffic alike, no need to look any further than a big performance against LSU (2018) to see the full spectrum of his skills. His zero to sixty acceleration is phenomenal and he's gassed man coverage on vertical concepts if granted a free release. Super crafty at the top of his routes, effective feet and angular releases to manipulate and force defenders into a bind where they have to guess his preferred route.
The biggest negatives surrounding Thomas' game involve his body. He has a smaller frame and there isn't a whole lot of room to put more muscle on. At times he gets knocked off his routes because of his lack of strength, and that might only get worse with more physical defensive backs in the NFL.
Usually, sixth or seventh-round picks have some big cons, but there could be worse ones for Thomas. If the Giants could develop him and put him in the slot with his speed, that could also help improve his game.
The Giants should select Thomas and use him as their fourth or fifth wide receiver in the first year or two. If he can continue to develop his game the first couple of years in the league, he could turn into a favorite target of Daniel Jones. If it doesn't work out, the team is only out a late-round draft pick, not a big loss.
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