Oklahoma QB menace and edge rusher R Mason Thomas.
You watch this guy’s videos and they are fun as hell. Joe could watch cut-ups of this guy on an otherwise slow Friday night while working on some cold beers.
The speed is there. The ferocity is there. The explosion is there. The tenacity is there. The moves are there. The ballhawk mindset is there. The production is there.
But Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas’ measurements aren’t there. The Fort Lauderdale native is 6-2, 249. That gives NFL folks linebacker vibes.
(Fun fact: Coming out of Buffalo in 2014, Khalil Mack was 6-3, 251. Joe remembers a general manager telling Joe at the combine that winter that if Mack was on the board when he drafted, he’s got a problem. The analytics on Mack’s measurables screamed “bust” but the film screamed “dawg.” How’d that work out?)
Joe spoke with Thomas at the combine Wednesday at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis. He isn’t worried about what people say about his size, whether they are NFL scouts, suits or coaches.
In fact, Thomas has a ready-made retort for any NFL statgeeks who try to dismiss him as an edge rusher because of his size. How do you fight the numberscrunchers? You use physics against them.
“I tell them an equation. I say to them a little force equation. Mass times acceleration equals force. … All I need to do is generate some more speed.
“All it is, is less weight, more speed, that’s all.”
Joe thinks that is hilarious: Thomas goes to war against the math nerds using physics. Brillant!
Thomas also confessed that some teams only want him to rush the passer. A designated passer who is not on the field for run plays. Thomas is not interested in this usage in any way.
“I see myself as a dominant pass rusher but [excelling] in the run game, too,” Thomas said. “People say [Thomas is] a designated pass rusher to come in on third down. Who just wants to come in on third down? I want to play the whole game.”
Go ahead and treat yourself to a cut-up of Thomas below. A few things Joe will point out: Judging from what Joe reads, picking Thomas at No. 15, which is where the Bucs now have a first-round pick, might be too high. And Joe doubts Thomas will be on the board when the Bucs next pick at No. 46.
Thomas, like Georgia linebacker C.J. Allen, could be a trade down candidate for the Bucs.
For reference, Mack was selected fifth overall in the 2014 draft.
As for Thomas’ big personality? Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht has a known history for having a soft spot for players who have big personalities.
As of 2/21 R Mason Thomas is “my guy” at 26 … pic.twitter.com/oIksLWd2iu
— Air Raid | Buffalo (@TheBillsGuys) February 21, 2026