Xavier Thomas

Cardinals selected Clemson EDGE Xavier Thomas with the No. 138 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

A former top recruit in the 2018 class, Thomas (6’2/244) has been contributing to the Clemson defense longer than most. Through his four full college seasons, he was a consistent part of the pass rush rotation, earning 30 starts in his 61 career games. The IMG graduate accrued 3 sacks and 4 TFLs in 2023; modest production when compared with some his 2024 EDGE class peers. Despite the lack of eye popping stats, he has been consistent in posting between three to five sacks in each of his starting campaigns. While the stat sheet won’t tell you that he’s an NFL talent, his play on the field suggests otherwise. Thomas plays with a hot-running motor and above average get off, to go with active hands in pass rush. He’s at his best when swiping the punch of the tackle and beating him to the quarterback. Despite the burst he displays off the snap, he struggles to convert it to power like most successful Edges. The Florence, S.C. native put up an impressive 26 bench press reps (84th%) at the combine but is unable to materialize this into anything more than a mediocre bull rush.