Browns select UM’s Thomas in 3rd round
CORAL GABLES — A day after the Hurricanes saw their threeyear streak of having a player taken in the first round of the NFL draft end, one of Miami’s top players has finally gotten one of those coveted calls.
Chad Thomas, one of the standouts on Miami’s defensive line and a player who was one of the Hurricanes’ biggest leaders in the locker room became the first UM player taken in this year’s draft going to Cleveland in the third round with the No. 67 pick.
He is the highest Hurricanes defensive lineman taken in the NFL draft since the Dolphins used the 72nd pick to take defensive end Olivier Vernon in the third round of the 2012 draft.
Thomas, who had 41 tackles, including 12.5 for tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks last season, had been a steady riser in the weeks ahead of the draft, moving from a projected fourth or fifth round pick to Friday’s third round.
In Cleveland, Thomas will join two other former Hurricanes: running back Duke Johnson and tight end David Njoku.
“This was the season he put it all together,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said of Thomas moments after his selection. “He’s not a sack artist, he’s not going to come into the league and get doubledigit sacks, but he’s capable of getting after the quarterback, shows pursuit skills against the run, can drop into coverage, a versatile kid. … While he won’t get sacks necessarily, he will be a disruptive force behind the line of scrimmage.”
Thomas was the 11th defensive lineman taken in the draft following former NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb, who went No. 5 to Denver; former Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea, who went No. 12 to Tampa Bay; former Alabama defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne, who went No. 13 to Washington; former Texas-San Antonio defensive end Marcus Davenport, who went No. 14 to New Orleans; former Florida defensive tackle Taven Bryan, who went No. 29 to Jacksonville; former Boston College defense end Harold Landry, who went No. 41 to Tennessee; former USC defensive end Uchenna Nwosu, who went 48 to the Chargers; former Rutgers defensive end Kemoko Turay, who went No. 52 to Indianapolis; former Ohio State defensive end Tyquan Lewis, who went No. 64 to Indianapolis and former Georgia defensive end Lorenzo Carter who was taken just before Thomas with the 66th pick.
A former five-star prospect at Miami’s Booker T. Washington, Thomas is one of three potential Hurricanes linemen that could hear their name called this weekend, with junior defensive tackles RJ McIntosh and Kendrick Norton both bypassing their junior years to enter the draft.
He has, throughout his football career, made headlines for his work off the field as an up-andcoming producer in the Miami music scene.
Thomas has worked with the likes of Rick Ross, Kodak Black and has had his work sampled by both Drake and DJ Khaled. Earlier this month, Thomas — who plays nine instruments — released a five-song EP titled “Lil Tape.” And throughout the draft process, he’s had to answer questions both from reporters and NFL personnel about whether his music will take away from his efforts on the football field.
He often downplayed those concerns, including at the combine where Thomas said, “It was never a distraction. I don’t mix music and football together. … It’s not really a balance. I don’t take out the time for them. Football is football. It’s what I do.”