Texas Football: 5 best former Longhorns in the NFL in 2020
Earl Thomas. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Safety. Years Pro: 2010-Present. 1. 26
The two best former Texas football players competing in the NFL actively are both members of the Baltimore Ravens. But Tucker is hard to place at the top of the list considering he only plays on special teams. Ravens star veteran safety Earl Thomas lands the top spot on the list thanks to his overall value that he brings to his new team.
Thomas is the only active former Longhorn in the NFL that has a career approximate value rating above 90. He’s still producing now at the age of 30. Thomas recovered from the season-ending injury he had in the final year of his Seahawks tenure that saw him flip the famed middle finger to his own sideline against the Cardinals in 2018.
In all 15 games he played in 2019, Thomas started while registering 49 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, four pass deflections, and two interceptions.
The number of tackles for loss and combined tackles that Thomas registered in 2019 was a drop from his usual number per season. But his role changed a bit when he landed with the Ravens. He had more of an emphasis on the pass rush and blowing up plays in the opponent’s backfield, hence the two sacks and six quarterback hits.
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Thomas was stout as usual in pass coverage, with an opponent passer rating of less than 25 when throwing his way. Opposing quarterback also had a completion rate of just 44 percent when throwing to a target covered by Thomas. In effect, he was selected to his seventh Pro Bowl to cap the 2019 season.