2021 NFL Draft cornerback rankings: Patrick Surtain II leads strong group
By John Blair
9. Ambry Thomas, Michigan
6-foot, 189 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Third round
Ambry Thomas did not see much playing time his first couple of years at Michigan. As a freshman, he primarily played on special teams and as a sophomore, he saw limited action on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Going into his junior season he lost nearly 30 pounds due to getting colitis. However, he was able to rebound from this and have his most productive year registering 38 tackles, seven pass breakups, and three picks.
Thomas has all the physical skills needed to play corner in the NFL. He is a decent-sized corner coming in at 6-foot and also has the long arms teams like to see. He moves well for his size evident by his 4.37 40-yard dash at Michigan’s pro day. Teams also like the ball skills he shows and the fact he is a natural at catching the football. One more positive with Thomas is he has the ability to return kicks having averaged over 20 yards per kickoff return at Michigan.
While Thomas did prove he is an NFL caliber corner in 2019, it was his only year he saw significant playing time. He likely would have raised his stock in 2020 by getting more playing time but decided to sit out the year. On the field, he needs to improve as a tackler as he can come up empty in this area at times.