Former Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Michael Thomas has emerged as one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2016 NFL Draft, and most scouts have him listed as a late first- or early second-round pick. At 6'3" and 212 pounds, Thomas has elite NFL size and excellent hands, along with very good speed for someone his size.
Several teams expressed a lot of interest in Thomas at the NFL Combine, but some teams have him higher on their draft boards than others. Here are the three teams most likely to pick Thomas in the draft:
3) Carolina Panthers
Carolina really needs to upgrade their receiver core, and the front office has shown a tendancy to draft taller receivers to help quarterback Cam Newton, who has a tendancy to throw the ball high at times. Thomas certainly fits that mold of a tall possession receiver they can put alongside Kelvin Benjamin and speedster Ted Ginn Jr., and is probably a better option than Carolina's second-round pick last year, Devin Funchess.
2) Cleveland Browns
Cleveland has no notable wide receivers on their roster with Travis Benjamin set to be a free agent, putting Thomas at the top of their board in the second round. The Browns love that Thomas' size and his consistent ability to get open, and would hope that he could grow with QB Carson Wentz, who they are expected to take with the No. 2 overall pick.
1) San Francisco 49ers
Head coach Chip Kelly is looking for a big receiver the 49ers can pair with Torrey Smith, and Thomas is a guy they're targeting early in the second round. It's hard to nail down exactly when Thomas will be drafted with so many receivers projected to be taken in this area of the draft, but I'd be surprised if he fell past San Francisco.
The 49ers need someone to replace Anquan Boldin, who is a free agent, and Thomas is essentially a more athletic version at this point in their careers. With major question marks at quarterback in San Francisco, Kelly wants to provide whoever's under center with good weapons to play with. Thomas could be that guy.
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