Thompson earning a roster spot as an undrafted rookie is worth paying attention to. He is 6-foot-6, 308 pounds and has 38 college starts, including a nice rebound year at Illinois after barely playing in 2024. I have him at a four because making the team is not the same as proving he can win NFL snaps. The length and frame are useful, but two sacks and three tackles for loss last season were not dominant numbers. If he learns to play lower and turn that reach into separation, he could become a solid rotational lineman.
Strengths: Thompson offers rare length, extensive starting experience and enough size to play several spots along the front. He showed resilience by transferring and producing a 41-tackle final season after a lost 2024 campaign.
Weaknesses: His tall frame can make pad level difficult, and his final college season produced limited backfield disruption. He is undrafted and untested in the NFL, so his hand use and anchor remain projection points.
