Jakobe Thomas Should Have Vikings Fans Buzzing
With the 98th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected safety Jakobe Thomas.
Thomas is a very intriguing prospect, especially given the current makeup of the team’s safety room. It’s a room that consists of Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, Tavierre Thomas, Jacob Thomas, Kahlef Hailassie, and the aforementioned rookie Jakobe Thomas. The team is still awaiting a decision from legendary safety Harrison Smith on whether or not he will return for a 15th NFL season.
In the midst of the Harrison Smith drama, the Vikings will now focus some of their efforts on the development of Jakobe Thomas.
Jakobe Thomas Was Pretty Good in College
Turns out, Jakobe Thomas was quite the player during his collegiate career. He began his college days at Middle Tennessee State. The school would host the first three of Thomas’ five collegiate season, and he was quite productive. Over 24 total games played there, Thomas totaled 108 tackles, 8 PBUs, 4 TFLs, 4 INTs, and 1 pick-six. After the 2023 season, Thomas would transfer to the University of Tennessee for his junior season. Here, he would rack up 22 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 PBUs, and 1 sack.
After his one-year stint in Tennessee, Thomas would then take his talents to South Beach and play for the Miami Hurricanes. This was definitely his most productive season in college, as he garnered 76 total tackles, 5 INTs, 1 pick-six, 4 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 6 PBUs, and 2 fumble recoveries.
During the course of his collegiate career, Jakobe Thomas had to learn four different defenses in five years, and did-so brilliantly.
Jakobe Thomas Has the Potential to Be a Stud in Minnesota
Jakobe Thomas is a very capable safety and showed how in college. His size and strength gives him a good-a-chance as any DB to come down with an interception. He blends his physical traits with instinctual ball skills and soft hands that are a great set of skills for any young safety to have coming into the NFL.
Additionally, he has the versatility to play in multiple types of defensive shells. Thomas showed real capability in two-high and single-high coverages, as well as in the box as a rover/robber. Blend all of these with his fast-processing skills and ability to diagnose route concepts in an instant, and he has a great foundation to build upon.
He’s obviously not the perfect safety, and like any young prospect, he has his flaws. The main red flag with Thomas is his struggles with tackling. He is not a reliable open-field tackler whatsoever, and it shows on his tape both near the line of scrimmage and at the second and third levels. Additionally, his speed isn’t quite what you want it to be when scouting modern-day defensive backs, though it’s still serviceable enough.
Once Jakobe Thomas can add a little bit of size (which hopefully won’t detract from his speed any further), there’s a real possibility that the Vikings might have gotten themselves a gem. You can rest assured that Brian Flores loves what he saw on the tape from Jakobe Thomas, and was a large reason as to why the Vikings called his phone during the draft.
