Darwin

Thompson

Darwin Thompson (5'8/200) was one of the 33, and it was great to hear his name called. Thompson is a sleeper who checks production and athleticism boxes. At the Utah State Pro Day, Thompson had a 39-inch vertical and 4.50-second 40-yard dash, both scores good enough for him to have a chance at cracking the Chiefs 53-man roster in 2019. Mike McCartney also noted that 113 prospects who went to the combine went undrafted.

Thompson (5’8/200) spent only one season at Division I after transferring from NE Oklahoma A&M, capitalizing for a high-efficiency 153/1,044/14 (6.8 YPC) rushing line and 23/351/2 (15.3 YPR) receiving with the Aggies. Thompson led all Mountain West backs in yards after contact per carry (5.07) – the next closest averaged 3.89 – and percentage of runs that gained a first down or scored a touchdown (34%). Still snubbed for a Combine invite, Thompson shined at his Pro Day in the vertical (39"), broad jump (10’6"), and three cone (6.93) with a 4.5-flat forty. Perhaps a poor man’s Tarik Cohen, Thompson offers plus versatility and receiving skills with jitterbug quickness on the ground. We’ve seen Andy Reid have some success with these types of players in the past, hopefully it happens again.

Thompson played just one year at Utah State, but he really intrigued while helping Utah State to one of the best year’s in the schools history, and he showed off his athleticism in his Pro Day with a 39-inch vertical to go along with a 4.47 second 40-yard dash and 28 reps on the bench press. The latter figure is especially impressive considering he’s 5-foot-8, 190-pounds. “He will be unable to outrun NFL speed to the corner so his future may be limited to what he can do between or over the tackles,” writes Zierlein. “He’s versatile and tough enough to get a chance to compete for a spot at the back-end of the roster as a three-down backup prospect.”

Thompson (5'8/190) is as explosive as they come. In addition to his high-end vertical, Thompson shined in the broad jump (126 inches), on the bench press (28 reps), and in the forty (4.47 seconds). Most draft analysts were surprised to see Thompson kept out of the NFL Scouting Combine, but he is expected to be one of the couple dozen prospects to be drafted despite being a combine snub. The most common comparison for Thompson is Tarik Cohen.

Thompson, who according to Pauline measured out at 5-foot-8, 190 pounds, needed a good performance as he was not invited to attend the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The former Utah State RB clocked in at 4.47 seconds in the 40-yard dash and 4.15 seconds in the short shuttle. In addition to his work in RB drills, Thompson was said to have looked “very good” in pass-catching drills. Thompson has been projected to be a Day 3 prospect with a chance of working his way into Day 2.

This is disappointing on multiple levels. Thompson is deserving of an invite because of his 2018 production (1,395 scrimmage yards and 16 touchdowns), but he also would have been one of the NFL Combine “winners”, as he’s one of the most athletic players in the 2019 NFL Draft. Bruce Feldman reported before the 2018 season that Thompson had a 40.5-inch vertical and could run in the 4.4s, which makes the Tarik Cohen comparison valid. Consider Thompson a Day 3 prospect now that he was snubbed from the Combine, but there’s still a chance he goes Day 2.

Thompson (5'8/200) was on Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” after clocking in the 4.4s and jumping 40.5 inches in the vertical. Brugler likes Thompson’s production (1,044 yards and 14 touchdowns with 23-351-2 as a receiver) and athleticism, and he believes Thompson will be a similar to the Bears’ Tarik Cohen as a draft prospect. If that’s the case, then expect Thompson to be an early Day 3 prospect, as Cohen was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Thompson (5'8/200) spent one season at Utah State, rushing for 1,044 yards and 14 touchdowns on 153 carries while also catching 23 passes for 351 yards and another two scores. The junior running back, who spent two seasons at Northeast Oklahoma A&M CC, was one of college football’s top newcomers this season. Thompson will now look to make a positive impression on NFL scouts and executives in hopes of hearing his name called at some point in this spring’s NFL draft.

A spectacular day for Thompson (5'8/200) who has been one of the best -- and certainly one of the most underrated -- newcomers to college football. The rushing touchdown gives the former Oklahoma A&M star 14 rushing scores, and his two receiving touchdowns from Jordan Love give him three. You can do a lot worse. Expect Thompson to be involved in both aspects again against the awful Colorado State defense next Saturday.

Thompson (5'8/200) led the team in rushing yards in this one and now has 702 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. Two of his scores in this one were from one yard out, with the other from 26. This game wasn’t really ever close as the Aggies took a commanding 28-3 lead after the first quarter. Next week could be another blowout against a 1-8 San Jose State squad.