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2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Miami (FL) S Jakobe Thomas

From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Miami (FL) S Jakobe Thomas.

No. 8 Jakobe Thomas/S Miami (FL) – 6012, 211 POUNDS (REDSHIRT SENIOR)

MEASUREMENTS

Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan

Jakobe Thomas 6012/211 10 5/8 31 7/8″ 76

40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone

N/A N/A N/A N/A

Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press

N/A N/A N/A

THE GOOD

– Instinctive safety with strong route recognition skills

– Frequently is in position to make plays on the ball

– Has good sideline-to-sideline range

– Can play in multiple coverage roles

– Aggressive competitor in coverage and physical in engaging receivers at the point of attack

– Good size for the position with a densely built frame

– Strong hands to high-point the ball and disrupt passes

– Able to win jump balls with good verticality

– Particularly effective at jumping crossing routes and intermediate progressions

– Delivers big hits near the line of scrimmage

– Willing to support the run and comes down from his robber role to fill gaps

– Extensive snap count across three different programs

– Blitzing ability looked really good this past season when he was used in that role

THE BAD

– Often fails to wrap up tackles, coming at guys with reckless abandon that lets them slip by

– Average straight-line speed and can get stacked vertically by faster receivers

– Limited recovery burst to make up ground when he’s beaten

– Sometimes will get washed off blocks in the run game

– Leaves his feet too often as a tackler and hasn’t closed enough ground before lunging at guys

– Occasionally fooled by disguised plays and bites on misdirection

– Struggled more against guys in man coverage situations, especially with versatile route runners

– Locks on to the quarterback’s eyes too much that take him away from routes

– Has to be better on pursuit angles to square up on runners

– Tends to over-pursue plays to read and react quickly; aggressiveness leads to being out of position

– Doesn’t always seem to process information quickly and can be a step behind plays

– Has tight hips on intermediate routes to mirror the more elusive receivers

STATS

– Has 30 career starts with 51 total games played in 5 years between one year at Miami (FL), one year at Tennessee and 3 years at Middle Tennessee State University

– Career: 2,262 total snaps (1,039 FS, 813 SS, 347 slot CB, 16 outside CB)

– 275 special teams snaps (103 FG Block, 65 Kick Coverage, 57 Punt Coverage, 42 Punt Return, 8 Kick Return)

– 67.1 percent completion rate against, 206 total tackles (139 solo), 11 TFL’s, 4.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 16 PBU’s, 9 INT’s (2 returned for TD’s), 12 TD’s allowed, 93.5 passer rating allowed, 10 penalties, 57 missed tackles

– 2025: Started in all 12 games

– 47.2 percent completion rate against, 59 total tackles (40 solo), 3 TFL’s, 2 forced fumbles, 3 PBU’s, 1 INT’s, 1 TD allowed, 57.4 passer rating allowed, 2 penalties, 8 missed tackles

– 74.1 coverage grade per PFF

– 68.7 man coverage grade (39.6 passer rating) and 71.9 zone coverage grade (73.5 passer rating)

– 70.5 run defense grade per PFF

INJURY HISTORY

– Nov. 2025: Left the Virginia Tech game early taking a “helmet to the arm,” but X-rays were negative and he returned to play the next week.

BACKGROUND

– DOB: 6/30/2003 (22 years old)

– Born and grew up in Starkville, MS before moving to Tullahoma, TN and attended Tullahoma H.S.

– 2026 Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP

– 2025 2nd Team All-ACC

– 2024 transferred to Miami (FL) after playing one season for Tennessee

– 2023 transferred to Tennessee University after initially committing to play at Oregon State

– 2022-23 played in 21 games and made 13 starts in two yrs. at Middle Tennessee State University

– 2021 played in one game as a freshman

– Rated a 3-star recruit by 247Sports coming out of high school

– Lettered in football and basketball at Tullahoma HS

– Played running back, wide receiver and defensive back

– Led the team in rushing his senior season with 712 yards on 82 carries with 16 TD’s, while also having 20 catches for 361 yds. and 5 TD’s (also had two punt return TD’s)

– Named a Tennessee Mr. Football 4-A semi-finalist

– Majored in communication studies

– Enjoys fishing in his free time

– Baseball is his favorite sport outside of football

– Favorite movie is Shrek, favorite anime is Attack On Titan, favorite musical artist is Cody Johnson, and he likes playing Fortnite

– Kobe Bryant is his sports hero

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Jakobe Thomas was an aggressive-minded, ball-hawking safety for the Miami Hurricanes this past season on their stout defense. He could be counted on in the back end to be an enforcer in the run game and make plays on the ball with his great football instincts. His ability to play multiple positions in high school translated to his propensity for recognizing routes from receivers and running lanes. His biggest limitations come from a lack of elite athleticism, hip fluidity and being technically inconsistent as a run defender.

The first thing that stuck out about Thomas this year was his ability to read and react so well to plays in zone coverage. He seemed to always be around the ball, and more often than not, he tended to disrupt or snag passes that were near him. Thomas also can stay with most receivers vertically and has really good body adjustment in the air to deflect or pick off passes consistently.

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