1. Daniel Thomas, RB, MIA — Miami traded three draft picks to Washington — a third, fifth and seventh-rounder — in order to move up to No. 62 overall, where they nabbed Thomas. He's an every-down back from Kansas State, a physical yet fluid runner with legit receiving skills. The 230-pound Thomas broke the plane 30 times over two seasons at K-State, gaining a total of 2,850 yards on the ground (5.2 YPC) and another 428 through the air. Naturally, he has some Wildcat experience on the resume. And then there's this...
A team-issued bio says Thomas has "pro-caliber arm strength" while noting he was originally recruited by Kansas State as a quarterback.
"At Kansas State, they had me throwing a lot, so I feel like if I'm called to do that, I can definitely do it," Thomas said. "I'm good for three or four passes."
But don't be too distracted by the gimmick potential here. Thomas is a talented runner and he'll get a serious workload — remember, both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are free agents. Thomas may not have high-end speed, but the rest of his skill set is solid. Check the tape (and please enjoy the soundtrack). In each of the past three seasons, Miami has finished among the top-third of the league in rush attempts. There's a clear opportunity for Thomas to achieve every-week starting status. -Behrens
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