Former Tennessee Vols defender appears to be open to moving to the offensive side of the ball in the NFL
Tennessee Vols defensive lineman Omari Thomas appears to be willing to do whatever it takes to stick on a roster in the NFL. That appears to include moving to the offensive side of the ball (if an NFL team asks him to move). Thomas, who played at Tennessee from 2020 to 2024, played on the […]
Tennessee Vols defensive lineman Omari Thomas appears to be willing to do whatever it takes to stick on a roster in the NFL.
That appears to include moving to the offensive side of the ball (if an NFL team asks him to move).
Thomas, who played at Tennessee from 2020 to 2024, played on the Vols' defensive line for all five of his seasons on Rocky Top.
The Memphis native, however, went through some offensive line drills for NFL scouts on Tuesday during Tennessee's Pro Day in Knoxville.
"Omari looked pretty good," said Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel when asked about Thomas going through offensive line drills. "Omari's done such a great job on the defensive line. Been a huge part of the culture in the locker room and us building our program. Got a great future in front of him. But he flipped over (to offense) for some of the drills today. Natural skill set there as well. Excited to see his career unfold."
If Thomas makes it in the NFL as an offensive lineman, he wouldn't be the first former Tennessee defensive lineman to make that transition.
Former Vols defensive lineman Kahlil McKenzie switched to the offensive line after being selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
I'm sure Thomas would prefer to stick on the defensive side of the ball — it's undoubtedly where he's the most comfortable — but he showed NFL scouts this week that he has the versatility to play along the offensive line, too. That should make Thomas an attractive option to NFL teams as a late-round draft selection or as a priority undrafted free agent.
