Do you like undersized speed rushers with elite athleticism, bend, and a strong array of pass rush moves and counters? Many modern names come to mind with this archetype of pass rusher: Micah Parsons, Nik Bonitto, Haason Reddick, Will McDonald IV, Nolan Smith, Josh Uche; many of which I had very highly on my predraft boards (ask my college roommates how upset I was that Reddick went just 2 picks before the Colts in 2017, there is video evidence that haunts our group chat even now). Because for Colts fans this archetype brings one name to mind:
Former Alabama A&M Defensive End Robert Mathis, the Colts all time sack leader.
Call me sentimental, but I miss having an edge rusher who jumps off the line at the snap like he’s got a rocket in his posterior, gets low on the outside shoulder, spins around, and has a bull rush that surprises linemen. Yearning for yesteryear aside, the Colts also still need this archetype on their current team.
With just Laiatu Latu (technician who is in between finesse and power builds and tries to win every way) and JT Tuimoloau (power rusher who struggled to earn snaps as a rookie) under contract in 2026, the Colts need some extra juice on the edge. While the position likely will be addressed in Free Agency as well, the need for a young pass rusher who can get to the QB constantly and quickly remains paramount. As far as his weaknesses on the field go, there is a relatively easy way to address it: don’t play him on run downs. Let him be situational, use and edge rusher rotation and let him play the snaps that put him in the best position to succeed. This has the added benefit of keeping both him and the linemen he is rotating with fresh and maintain their stamina throughout a game and a season.
R Mason Thomas was ranked 29th on my initial Big Board Top 100 Rankings, with a Round 1-2 Grade. The odds he makes it to the Colts aren’t great, but they aren’t 0 as draft falls can happen. Despite his upside as a pass rusher, the red flags in the run game and his injury history are real enough to give some teams pause. He most likely goes off the board late Round 1 or early Round 2, but if teams are scared off there is a chance he could fall to the 40s. Should the Colts either get extremely lucky or add extra draft capital to trade up with, Thomas is on the short list of players they could look to get aggressive to acquire.
He did accept a Senior Bowl invite and can boost or hurt his stock with his practice performances. In Mobile he needs to prove he is healthy and ready for the pre-draft process to be able to fully show off his explosiveness. If he does so, he can secure his first round status. If he doesn’t, then the questions mount.