Raiders NFL Draft Prospect: Thomas Booker, Stanford

Stanford Cardinal Thomas Booker is one of the smartest and most athletic defensive tackles in the NFL Draft and could fit the Las Vegas Raiders

Stanford Cardinal Thomas Booker has been a major contributor to Coach David Shaw’s defense and as a three-year captain, held the defense together through the good and bad times.

Only a few days away from the 2022 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders will be looking at adding players like Booker, who not only bring versatility but leadership skills to their roster.

“As a leader for the Stanford defense, Thomas Booker has developed all facets of his game during his tenure with the Cardinal. He's an agile defender with quick feet. Plays with a level of suddenness to his game that makes it hard for linemen to predict his approaches. Plays off of his strong punch with decent arm extension. He uses these same qualities to stack and shed opponents with above-average timing. His eyes are what help separate him both with tracking the ball but identifying the runner and timing his disengagements. His quickness allows him to cover several gaps along the interior offensive line and collapse them with a decent tackle radius,” NFL Draft Bible noted.

The 6-3, 301-pound defensive tackle recorded a career-high 59 total tackles (28 solos), five tackles for losses, one sack, and one pass deflection. For the second consecutive season, Booker was named second-team All Pac-12.

Booker also was a heavy contributor on special teams and despite having a career season, he only managed to record two sacks in a two-season span.

As one of the most experienced defensive tackles in this year’s NFL Draft, he lacks consistency in several areas of his game, which will set him back into the later rounds of the NFL Draft.

“Defensive tackle with pretty good flashes but a lack of consistency that can be frustrating to watch. Booker has a thick frame and pretty good upper-body power but is unable to plant a post leg and hold his ground against edge pressure or double teams. He's strong enough to punch and separate but arm length might be the culprit in his inability to rid himself of blocks on a consistent basis. He's a decent athlete with some rush potential and could be a rotational player for a team employing multiple fronts,” NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein said.

Many may confuse his athleticism with his reaction speed, he isn’t the quickest to react and may not explode out of his stance, but he does have the speed to chance and bring down ball carries and mobile quarterbacks.

At the NFL Combine, Booker was the fifth-fastest interior defensive linemen with a 4.94 on the 40-yard dash.

This year’s draft class does not offer much depth, but it does offer athleticism across the defensive line, which is why his draft stock hasn’t fallen drastically.

Most of his flaws can be corrected with proper coaching and spending a lot more time in the weight room.

Booker is a prospect that may surprise many people down the line.

A smart and talented player that needs to polish a few areas of his game before becoming a star.

The Raiders can look at drafting a player like Booker who can not only bring his skills on the field but a player who they can trust to lead the team one day.

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