Considered one of the top prospects in the 2017 NFL Draft, SI.com's Chris Burke thinks the Redskins could take Stanford defensive linemen Solomon Thomas with the 17th-overall pick.
Will the Washington Redskins look to bolster their defensive line with a first round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft?
Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke thinks it could be a possibility, as he has tapped Stanford defensive lineman Solomon Thomas to go to the Redskins in his most recent mock draft.
Thomas announced on Wednesday his intentions to forgo his senior year and enter the NFL Draft following two productive seasons at Stanford.
After not seeing any action during his freshman season in 2014, Thomas earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors during his sophomore year in 2015, as he collected 39 tackles (10.5 for loss) along with 3.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries.
He recorded five tackles in his Stanford debut against Northwestern that year and closed it out by recorded four tackles and a sack against Iowa in the Rose Bowl.
With a year of college experience under his belt, the 6-foot-3, 273 pounder was one of the nation's best defensive players in 2016, as he was twice named conference Defensive Player of the Week en route to All-Pac-12 first-team and AP All-American third-team selections.
In 13 games, the Coppell, Texas, native registered 62 tackles (15 tackles for loss) along with eight sacks, two forced fumbles and one recovered.
In three straight games against Notre Dame, Colorado and Arizona in October, Thomas collected 1.5 sacks in each game.
While his sack totals dropped off in November, he did take down North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky in last month's Sun Bowl game.
"Did you see the Sun Bowl? This dude already looked like an NFL veteran playing against overmatched college linemen," Burke writes. "Thomas has the power to push through OTs off the edge, coupled with the quickness to slip past interior blockers. He's a fit for all schemes and all downs. Exactly what Washington is missing up front."
