Panthers: Tight end Ian Thomas is a rookie to watch for
The Carolina Panthers may have found a hidden gem at the position…..
You all have heard of Greg Olsen, and if you haven’t especially as a Carolina Panthers fan, you have been living under a rock. You probably have not heard of some of Olsen’s backups at the position. One of the backups you should keep an eye on is rookie Ian Thomas.
The Maryland native was drafted in the fourth round (pick No. 101) out of Indiana in April’s draft, and he hopes to take his collegiate success to the National Football League ranks. He was a late bloomer to the collegiate ranks, and he had a breakout senior season in 2017. Catching 25 passes for 376 yards and five touchdowns, he was invited to the 2018 Senior Bowl for his efforts.
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Measuring in at 6-foot-5, 248 pounds, Thomas is a very big target, and he may be exactly what the Carolina Panthers need. He could be a bridge to Greg Olsen once the time comes, and as Bill Voth wrote in his weekly Grill Bill segment on Friday, he is making an impression on the Carolina Panthers coaches.
"Coaches were pleased by what they saw of Thomas this spring, and they’re hopeful the fourth-round pick will contribute as a rookie. But it sure doesn’t seem like Norv Turner has enough firepower at TE2 to make it a legit threat just yet."
As Voth alludes to in that quote, we could see a two tight end set for the Carolina Panthers at some point during the season. However, I believe there is still a lot of work to be done before that happens. Even still, it should not be overlooked that Thomas could see the playing field at some point during the season. My guess here is that, should Thomas enter a game at some point, it would be in the red zone. In that situation, a two tight end set would be perfect especially for Cam Newton. He could literally pick his poison between Olsen and someone like Thomas.
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Until it becomes clearly defined what the Panthers expect from Thomas in 2018, it remains a mystery as to how he will be used to this point. However, even if he does not get a bunch of playing time initially, chances are we will be hearing from him much more on the future. His size and potential should work in his favor as he looks to make a name for himself.