Thompson is a throwback big man — a 6-6, 300-plus-pound defensive lineman who wins with length, leverage, and an unrelenting motor rather than any kind of explosive athleticism. He eats space against the run like few others in this class, absorbing double teams and holding his ground at the point of attack to free up linebackers behind him. As a pass rusher, he's limited to bull-rush and power-based wins; there's no speed-to-power conversion or counter repertoire that will threaten NFL guards. His Shrine Bowl week was a legitimately impressive showcase, but two major injuries (Achilles, torn pec) in a six-year college career create real durability concerns that will keep him on Day 3 boards. If the body holds up, he's a quality rotational nose/3-tech in an odd front; if it doesn't, the floor is a camp body.

• 🏋️Exceptional length and frame (6-6, 300+ lbs) with room to add mass — rare body type for an interior defender that naturally disrupts throwing lanes
• 🪵Strong anchor against double teams with ability to hold ground and maintain gap integrity, consistently occupying multiple blockers
• 🔥Relentless motor and high effort level that shows up on every snap — keeps legs driving and stays engaged even when initially stalled
• 🃏Proven Big Ten starter with alignment versatility across 1-tech, 2i, 3-tech, and 5-tech positions
• 🦬Effective bull rush generates interior push; active hands with good placement when engaged with blockers

• 🏎️Lacks explosive first step and functional athleticism — will not threaten NFL interior linemen off the snap or win with speed
• 🦬Limited pass-rush counter repertoire; when initial power move is stalled, has no reliable second move to convert pressure to sacks
• −Significant injury history — Achilles tear (2020) and torn pectoral (2024) are both major soft-tissue injuries for a man his size, raising durability red flags
• 🚀2025 production at Illinois was modest (1.5 sacks, 2.5 TFL in 12 starts) and PFF pass rush grade of 63.1 suggests he's more functional than impactful as a rusher