The Pittsburgh Steelers had a private meeting with North Carolina State wide receiver Thayer Thomas before his Pro Day workout today, according to Cory Smith of Pack Pride. In a video, Thomas said he had dinner with Pittsburgh Monday night.
At his Pro Day, Thomas, who played with his brother Drake, a linebacker, at N.C. State, posted a 37-inch vertical and ran below a 4.50 at his 40-yard dash. Former N.C. State quarterback Mike Glennon was on hand to throw to receivers for the Wolfpack, per Smith.
Thomas has five full seasons of college experience. For his career, he made 215 receptions for 2,484 yards and 24 touchdowns. He went from 383 yards as a freshman to a slight dip of 334 in three fewer games as a sophomore, before totaling 529 yards as a junior during the COVID-shortened season, 596 yards during his senior season, and 642 yards on a career-high 57 receptions last year when he took advantage of a rule granting players an extra season because of the COVID year.
His best game last season came in a win against Virginia Tech on October 27 when Thomas had 10 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns. He also broke the 100-yard mark in a win over Connecticut on September 24, with five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown.
Thomas also has experience returning punts, as he returned 34 total over the past two seasons, and 70 during his career. He returned a punt for a touchdown during his sophomore campaign. He was N.C. State’s primary slot receiver, with 52 of his receptions last season coming out of the slot.
Thomas was a late addition to the Shrine Bowl, participating in the game along with his brother. He also was a Hula Bowl participant and is a two-sport athlete who was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2019. It’ll be interesting to see if the Steelers liked what they saw and heard out of Thomas, who is a projected Day 3 selection. With a lot of collegiate experience and a strong Pro Day, he is someone who potentially rose up the Steelers’ draft board over the last few days.
