Rams 2022 Draft Prospect Profile: Josh Thompson (CB, Texas)

[theramswire.usatoday.com] Rams 2022 Draft Prospect Profile: Josh Thompson (CB, Texas)


Skyler Carlin
April 27, 2022 5:08 am PT

The 2022 NFL draft is only a day away, but the Los Angeles Rams won’t make their first selection until Friday in the third round. Entering the draft, the Rams could find themselves adding a cornerback to their roster, especially with Darious Williams departing in free agency.

Jalen Ramsey continues to prove he’s arguably the best cornerback in football while Robert Rochell and David Long Jr. are currently the next two cornerbacks on the depth chart. Given the lack of depth at cornerback, the Rams could add one early on in the upcoming draft.

There are only two more cornerbacks that I’ll be compiling profiles for ahead of the draft and the second-to-last prospect will be Josh Thompson out of Texas.

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Background
Thompson logged snaps for Texas in each of the past five years, so he has plenty of experience entering the NFL. Throughout his five seasons at Texas, Thompson totaled 108 tackles, seven pass breakups, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery.

Despite his lack of interceptions, Thompson displayed the capability to make plays on the ball in college. The strongest part of Thompson’s game comes in the run game, where he proved to be a physical tackler even though he’s not the biggest cornerback.

At the NFL scouting combine, Thompson ran a 4.40 40-yard dash (11th-fastest among CBs). He would follow that up by producing a 4.13 20-yard shuttle and a 6.84 three-cone drill at Texas’ Pro Day.

How he fits the Rams
Thompson played in a zone-heavy defense at Texas, which would make him an ideal fit in Raheem Morris’ defensive scheme. During his time at Texas, Thompson was at his best when he was able to keep his eyes on the quarterback and the wide receiver in front of him.

Even though Thompson spent all of his time at cornerback, his willingness to get physical in the run game could make him versatile enough to move to the slot or play safety. The Rams have shown that they like versatile cornerbacks considering the guys they’ve selected in recent drafts.

Upon entering the NFL, Thompson could be a special teams contributor that operates as a depth option at cornerback. With time, Thompson could develop into a starting cornerback at the next level.


Draft projection
Thompson’s draft projection appears to be highly volatile entering the draft. There are mock drafts that have him going in the sixth or seventh round, while others have him going undrafted.

The Rams have five of their eight draft picks taking place in the sixth or seventh round. Provided that, Los Angeles will likely have a few opportunities to add Thompson to their current roster.

If Thompson goes undrafted, his ability to tackle and be physical in the run game should give him immediate value on special teams. Given the value he could provide on special teams and as a depth option, Thompson would be a solid late-round selection.