R Mason Thomas Bucs Scouting Report

We are now less than a month away from the 2026 NFL Draft. The Bucs have made their major free agency moves, shoring up the floor of their roster in several areas. Now back to scouting prospects who might be available in the draft. Up next is Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas.

The defense has been the crux of my focus this offseason looking at multiple positions to find players who may be able to help Tampa Bay become a top-notch defense. The Bucs will need to find a running mate for Yaya Diaby and perhaps some additional depth. Previous edge scouting reports are as follows:

David Bailey, T.J. Parker, Rueben Bain Jr., Akheem Mesidor, Cashius Howell

R Mason Thomas Background and College Career

R Mason Thomas was a four-star prospect (208th overall) out of Cardinal Gibbons High School in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He ran track (100m, 200m, and 400m). From 247 Sports:

“2021: Key player for a Cardinal Gibbons program that went 11-2 and won a Florida 4A state title. Racked up a team-high 12 sacks to go along with 64 tackles. Also scored on special teams via a direct snap racing 55 yards for a touchdown in the playoffs.

2020: Starting defensive end for a Cardinal Gibbons squad that won a Sunshine State 4A state title. Totaled 45 tackles, seven sacks and an interception. Sun Sentinel All-Broward 5A-1A first-team selection. Miami Herald 5A-Ind first-team selection.”

Thomas committed to Oklahoma, where he played four seasons. He played 10 games as a freshman, recording seven tackles and one sack. His best season came as a junior in 2024 when he had 23 tackles, 12.5 for a loss and nine sacks. He finished his Oklahoma career with 65 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, three passes defended, four forced fumbles, three fumbles recovered and two touchdowns over 42 games.

Scouting Report

Ht: 74.25” (16th percentile)
Wt: 241 pounds (4th percentile)
Age: 21 years old
Class: Senior
Arm Length: 31.625” (5th percentile)
Wingspan: 78.125” (16th percentile)
40-yd dash: 4.67 seconds (78th percentile)
10-yd split: 1.63 seconds (54th percentile)
3-cone: N/A
Short Shuttle: N/A
Vert: N/A
Broad: N/A

Games Watched: 2025 Texas, 2025 South Carolina, 2025 Auburn

Athleticism

R Mason Thomas’ lack of size makes it difficult for him to set a hard edge. He can get displaced easily in the run game despite his best efforts to compete. That will be the trade-off the team that drafts him has to accept.

But as a pass rusher his short-area quickness is sudden and impressive, and contributes to his explosive first step off the line. He can almost teleport across gaps. This is due to his excellent first step. He pairs that with impressive bend, remaining lateral to the ground with fantastic balance on many reps.

Thomas has shorter arms (sub-32”) which shows up more often against the run where he struggles against length and contributes to his high missed tackle rate (17.4% in 2025 and 18.5% for his career). Building on his explosiveness, he can sustain his speed through the arc and beyond. This is shown by how he tracked down Auburn running back Jeremiah Cobb from behind in open field.

Wanna know what you’re getting in R Mason Thomas (32) 👇 pic.twitter.com/VZil352Cev

— Todd McShay (@McShay13) February 21, 2026

Fitting The Run

Thomas works well laterally to help get to the edge against WZ. He is at his best in a system that lets him jump gaps and penetrate as a gap shooter. Bucs fans can think of this similarly to how Calijah Kancey has been deployed in Tampa Bay. That strategy has helped Kancey produce 22 tackles for loss in just 29 career games.

The downside of that is that Thomas can get knocked out of his gap due to his size/mass issues. He gives up the edge too often leading to big gains. But Thomas doesn’t lack fight despite the size issues, and his lower half power helps him survive more than most his size would. His relentless motor helps him with cleanups. He struggles against length and if an offensive lineman, or even a tight end, can lock out their arms it can often take him out of the play altogether.

Pass Rushing

Thomas likes to get a quick first step to widen and then cross face inside. But his speed-to-power is intermittent. Some reps are outstanding, but it requires him to get inside longer-levered blockers.

Geez man https://t.co/MlghHWAEW0 pic.twitter.com/5R4duOhaxB

— Josh Queipo (@JoshQueipo_NFL) March 29, 2026

But if he can’t get inside with his burst his power is almost wholly negated. And despite good balance he can get knocked off his rush path too easily by chipping tight ends.

Thomas is such a threat on the outside he causes oversets, which give him inside paths to the quarterback. The flip side of that is that he can get run up the arc and out of the play too much. Thomas has potentially the best bend in this class and it shows up consistently. He wants to dip and rip as much as possible, and he will continue to play through contact and has a high motor.

Something important to the Bucs defense is ability to loop and contribute as a part of a pass rush plan with stunts. There, he moves effortlessly as a looper, reducing his path while bending into lanes to hasten his pace.

R Mason Thomas out here turning corners through contact. pic.twitter.com/c0qpOduAN8

— Josh Queipo (@JoshQueipo_NFL) March 19, 2026

From a hand-fighting perspective he uses a double-hand swipe effectively but doesn’t have a large arsenal to vary his attack and he plays with a good pad level.

Coverage

Thomas is a smooth mover who was asked to drop consistently in college. He doesn’t panic in space and can get to his spots on time with his eyes in the backfield. He is a smart player who understands how offenses are attacking and adjusts his drop accordingly. Thomas also has the speed to handle more than the average dropping edge. Oklahoma was comfortable using him from off-ball alignments on the regular, showing he can be a part of a multiple, attacking and creative defense like the Bucs employ.

Processing and IQ

He had an impressive rep against South Carolina where he was covering the flat and after a scramble-drill, he recognized he had no help over the top and followed the receiver vertical to prevent a throw for a touchdown. Oklahoma used him off the ball and relied on his ability to read things out. He has a penchant for keeping his eyes in the backfield and getting his hands up when he can’t get to the quarterback. I think he is one of the smarter edge rushers in this class.

Other

Thomas was ejected from a game in 2025 and suspended from the first half of the Auburn game for a targeting penalty.

Best Role and Fit For The Bucs

At the NFL level, R Mason Thomas fits the bill for a modern, versatile front-seven player. He has the demeanor and tenacity to play the run, even if his physical limitations cap his upside there. His burst and bend give him one of the highest ceilings in this class in terms of pass rush juice and he has the movement skills to play in a present-day drop and attack scheme. This is tailor made for Todd Bowles’ Bucs defense.

Hear R Mason Thomas Speak

NFL Draft evaluations are as much about the person as the player. Teams want to understand the person as much as the player. How do they think? How do they interpret the game? Who are they as someone who must integrate into a locker room? We can’t see nearly as much of this as teams do in their in-person interviews, but this year I want to help all of us hear more from the players that we evaluate.

With that in mind, here is an interview R Mason Thomas did with Connor Rogers and Joshua Perry of NBC Sports.

I mentioned earlier that Thomas comes off as one of the smartest edge defenders in this class on tape. After watching his Thomas’ interviews, I am even more entrenched in that thought. He is thoughtful and intelligent, communicates well and shows how well he prepares both physically and mentally, showing fantastic recall about offense tendencies.

Between his high-end reps, his intelligence, physical traits and motor, currently Thomas is Edge2 on my board and I would be comfortable with the Bucs taking him in the first round of this draft.