Chiefs rookie pass rusher R Mason Thomas is already trying to prove everyone wrong, and he hasn’t even played a snap yet
The Kansas City Chiefs took R Mason Thomas in the second round after every team passed on him for his size and arm length.
R Mason Thomas could be the draft pick from the 2026 NFL Draft that surprises this fan base the most. Sure, he was a second-round pick, so it’s not like he will be a player who comes out of nowhere. However, his work ethic will elevate him beyond what most expect of him.
He’s already showing some of that, and he’s not even played a game with the Chiefs yet. In fact, he just finished his first weekend of rookie minicamp, and he already got right back to work, perfecting his craft and honing in on his pass rush moves. Thomas’ mentality and work ethic are qualities you just don’t often see in players in his position.
The Chiefs needed some help on the edge with getting to the passer. This draft pick is a little against what Steve Spagnuolo usually likes. Thomas is a bit smaller than the usual build KC goes for. However, his speed-to-power, bend, and hand usage while rushing the passer are pretty good, too. Thomas is twitchy, uses natural leverage to get underneath blockers, and is very instinctive.
There are some downsides to Thomas, though. He’s prone to jump offsides, as he had three of those calls in 2025. His lack of length does show, as sometimes he’s forced inside the tackle. If he’s double-teamed, even if it’s with a tackle and tight end, he’s got almost no shot to beat that double team.
But, once again, he has an insane motor; just watch another play from that same game as he chased down an RB on a 44-yard run.
R Mason Thomas is an extremely clutch player, just ask Auburn
There’s no real way to say this other than the fact that Thomas is a dog. He calls his shot, and he closes out games. That’s why his nickname in college was “The Closer.”
With the game on the line for the Tigers in Norman, Oklahoma, Auburn found themselves on their own one-yard line. Thomas had been dominating what was a pretty decent offensive line unit all game long. He then told his teammates not to even rush the passer, but that he would do it himself, one-on-five, and get the sack for a safety against Jackson Arnold, his former teammate.
“[R Mason Thomas] was just like, ‘Let me go get him.’ And that’s why we backed off and let him do his thing,” defensive tackle Gracen Halton told On3’s Parker Thune after that game.
