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ASHBURN, Va. -- Shortly after completing his first practice as Washington's head coach, Jim Zorn was asked what he thought of his rookie wide receivers. He basically gave them two thumbs-up, though he emphasized they must learn to be patient.
Yeah, well, try selling that to Michigan State's Devin Thomas.
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| Devin Thomas wants to prove himself after being drafted 34th. (AP) |
I mention that because Thomas was supposed to be the first wide receiver off the board, and he was supposed to go in the first round, with some mocks putting him as high as the 11th pick.
Neither happened, which means there's no use telling Devin Thomas about patience.
"Things happen for a reason," he said at Washington's minicamp Friday, "but it's definitely something I keep in the back of my mind. I'm focused on doing my best out there, but as the season gets closer I definitely have that in mind."
"I feel like a lot of teams missed out. Washington got a great thing with me, and I'm very happy here."
Thomas was one of three receivers taken in the second round by Washington. USC tight end Fred Davis was another, and Oklahoma's Malcolm Kelly was the third. But it's Thomas who will be dissected because of what is expected of him -- and it's a lot.
I'm not talking necessarily about Washington as much as I am the rest of the league ... uh-huh, the league that let him slide into its second round. When I consulted scouts and personnel directors prior to the draft, most made Thomas their top wide receiver -- and most gave him a first-round grade.
"We had him rated anywhere from 24 to 32," said one player personnel director. "But there were a lot of trades, and other positions (offensive tackles) were deeper. Plus, there were some first-round reaches.
"So you found there were other positions other than wide receiver that teams had needs for. If there weren't so many trades and a run on tackles he probably would've gone in the first round."
The knock on Thomas was twofold: 1) That he was a one-year wonder, producing big numbers only last season, and 2) that he has trouble running routes. Of course, tell me a rookie wide receiver who doesn't.
"He didn't do a lot of route running in college," said an AFC scout. "They had him do bubble screens, hitches and crossing routes. But you never saw him run an 18-yard 'dig' or a 15-yard comeback. And that's a problem because so many of these college offenses are gimmicky -- with guys running to areas instead of running routes."
Thomas concedes he has "to catch up with that," but the guy has all summer, for crying out loud. What do you say we concentrate on what he does have, like good hands, good size and good speed? He can return kicks, and he can make big plays -- with his school-record 79 catches last year the evidence. Plus, he played at a university known for producing NFL wide receivers.
OK, so he got buried behind some seniors in 2006. When he was given a chance by a new coaching staff he produced 1,260 yards receiving, second-best in the Big Ten, and 199.2 all-purpose yards per game -- the second-best total in conference history.
"I will guarantee you this," said an NFC receivers coach who worked out Thomas prior to the draft. "The guy will be a great pro. He's at the right team. He's going to get the ball and, guaranteed, he's going to start.
"He's a helluva player who can do it all. He's a physical run blocker. He can adjust his body to make the tough catch. He has speed and athletic ability. Will he need route work? Sure, but every rookie does. He's an explosive player who makes plays."
That could be critical for this year's Redskins. A year ago the club had two catches over 50 yards -- one by running back Clinton Portis -- but none longer than 54. It also had seven touchdown catches by its wide receivers, one less than Thomas at Michigan State.
After the season quarterback Jason Campbell urged the team to find him big wide receivers, and Thomas and Kelly were the Redskins' response. They're big, they're productive and they could be special, with Zorn saying, "I like their speed (and, yes, that included Kelly), and I like their acceleration."
I'll tell you what else he should like: their determination. Correction: Devin Thomas' determination. He struggled through his first pro workout, dropping a couple of passes early and falling to the ground as he left the line of scrimmage later.
"I was a little rusty," he said.
Big deal. It's the first day of the first minicamp, with plenty of practices and plenty of games to follow. Devin Thomas didn't make much of an impression Friday morning, but he should -- partly because he might not be as patient as his head coach would like.
"I just feel I've been a playmaker everywhere I've been," he said. "So I feel I deserve to be here, and I will show that. My confidence level is real high, and I'm pretty patient. But when I feel I'm ready I want to be out there. And I feel I'm ready to take that role."