The biggest surprise of the 2015 NFL Draft so far for the Texas Longhorns came on Saturday afternoon when the New York Giants selected defensive back Mykkele Thompson in the fifth round with the 144th pick.
Thompson was the third Texas player drafted, but few if any draft analysts expected a team to select Thompson at all -- NFLDraftScout.com ranked the 6'0, 200-pounder as the No. 697 prospect overall. He seemed surprised by the news himself:
This doesn't even feel real .... Man I'm Soo BLESSED !!!
— Mykkele Thompson (@MykkeThom2) May 2, 2015
The Giants clearly saw something in Thompson, who increased his physicality as a tackler during his senior season and showed off his versatility by playing three different positions in the secondary.
Thompson didn't manage to set his career high in tackles as a senior, as his 69 stops came up two short of the mark he set as a junior, but spending time playing cornerback helped cause that decrease. After finally deciding to wear contacts midway through the year, Thompson averaged seven tackles per game over the last seven games and came up with his second career interception against Texas Tech.
Here are his Texas Pro Timing Day results, which clearly helped Thompson:
40 time | Vert | Broad jump | Short shuttle | 3-cone | Bench |
4.48 seconds | 36 inches | 10 feet 9 inches | 4.45 seconds | 6.89 seconds | 18 reps |
Out of high school, Thompson was a consensus four-star prospect ranked as the No. 180 prospect, the No. 15 athlete, and the No. 25 player in Texas, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. A running quarterback at San Antonio Stevens, Thompson rushed for nearly 3,000 yards in high school and scored 40 rushing touchdowns.
With his selection by the Giants, Thompson became the fifth defensive back from Texas taken in the last five NFL Drafts.