Syracuse defensive end Ron Thompson’s scouting report. Thompson decided to enter the 2016 NFL Draft after he started three years for the Orangemen…
Ron Thompson came to Syracuse as a four-star tight end prospect out of Detroit, but was moved to defensive line following the spring of 2013. After he switched he started all 37 games possible for the Orangemen before declaring after his redshirt junior season. He made it to the Third Team All-ACC his redshirt junior season with 35 tackles, nine and-a-half tackles for loss, and seven sacks.
He was also tied for the ACC lead in forced fumbles with four, which was good for ninth nationally. He ended his Syracuse career with 87 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 10 pass deflections, six forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Thompson was named a team captain for his junior and sophomore campaigns. While at Syracuse he also played basketball for legendary coach, Jim Boeheim.
Measurables:
Height 6’4″
Weight 268lbs.
Arm Length 32 1/4″
Hand Width 9 3/8″
Workout Results:
40-yd Dash 4.92 seconds
3 Cone Drill 7.46 seconds
20-yd Shuttle 4.50 seconds
Bench Press Reps 18 reps
Games watched:
Strengths:
Thompson was a former tight end, and basketball player which helped him build up good footwork skills, which scouts look for in all lineman. He is athletic, he has decent burst off the snap and speed off the edge to pressure mobile quarterbacks, which I saw him do against Clemson’s Deshaun Watson many times.
He is adept at stripping the ball free from runners, he forced six fumbles in college, four his last season. Thompson is also good at recognizing plays, and the progression of a play which makes him a good defender against the read option, and play action. Lastly, he is good at getting into the passing lane and knocking down passes, an attribute coaches love.
Weaknesses:
He didn’t rack up as many tackles in a three year starting career as you would imagine someone who started 37 games would. He only had 87 tackles in college, an average of 29 a season. While he does have speed and athleticism to his advantage, he doesn’t have elite pass rushing speed. Going back to the production, he isn’t that good of a run stopper. If you’re going to start on the edge in the NFL you need to be able to set it, and stop the run. He seems to be more of a one dimensional player who would be better utilized as a pass rusher.
Overview:
Thompson is a project at defensive end, but could pay off for a team that drafts him, or signs him as an undrafted free agent. He fits well into a 3-4 set and could be a solid backup or rotational player for a team in need of a pass rusher. He would be a better pass rushing specialist in the short term until he can improve on his run stopping skills. Bottom line is, he offers upside for any team willing to draft or sign a project player with pass rushing and potentially special teams abilities.