The Jacksonville Jaguars have spoken with another interesting defensive back ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
on a number of prospects throughout the draft process in the form of virtual meetings and combine interviews. Another name has now been added to the mix, thanks to a report for KPRC2's Aaron Wilson: Oregon State safety Skyler Thomas.
So, who is Thomas and how would he potentially fit with the Jaguars? We take a look at his draft profile below. Nov 19, 2022; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon State Beavers defensive back Skyler Thomas against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesFor starters, Thomas has the profile of a top-notch special teamer. This is hardly a surprise because it seems like the Jaguars have placed an increased emphasis on rookies having special teams value, and Thomas has some of the most special teams experience in the draft after 49 career games at Oregon State. Thomas, who missed the 2023 season with an ACL injury, was also a team captain as a senior and led the team in tackles in back-to-back years. Add in the fact that he used to play cornerback and is a safety convert, and he seems like he checks a lot of familiar boxes for the Jaguars and what they have looked for in defensive back prospects. Nov 19, 2022; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon State Beavers defensive back Skyler Thomas against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images As for what the Jaguars need on the depth chart, Thomas also seems to fit more than some other highly-rated safety prospects. Thomas is a projected Day 3 selection and likely will not come off the board until the latter half of the draft's final day. That is normally a player who has to fight for a spot on the active roster during training camp, just as Rayuan Lane did last season. With the Jaguars losing starting safety Andrew Wingard in free agency, that means a likely much-expanded role for Antonio Johnson. Second-year safetyin the mix for serious playing time as the former third-round pick and top-100 selection returns from last year's foot injury. This means that, if anything at all, the Jaguars need backup depth at safety, not an early pick. Nov 19, 2022; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon State Beavers defensive back Skyler Thomas against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Jaguars, of course, are balanced enough roster-wise that they can afford to take a safety much earlier if he is a top talent. But all other logic indicates the Jaguars will more likely be looking to add a safety with the skill set and draft range of Thomas. Thomas was a productive and reliable piece for Oregon State's defense, a leader of the team, and a proven special teams contributor. If that doesn't sound like a Day 3 James Gladstone pick, I am not sure what does.John Shipley has been covering the Jacksonville Jaguars as a beat reporter and publisher of Jaguar Report since 2019. Previously, he covered UCF's undefeated season as a beat reporter for NSM.Today, covered high school prep sports in Central Florida, and covered local sports and news for the Palatka Daily News. Follow John Shipley on Twitter at @_john_shipley.
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