Seattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas has emerged as one of many undrafted free agent gems on this Super Bowl roster, although in his case he was not originally signed by John Schneider.
In 2023, the Las Vegas Raiders waived Thomas during final roster cuts, which was seen as a surprise given how impressive he looked in preseason. The Seahawks claimed Thomas off waivers, and while his rookie season ended prematurely due to a knee injury, he stuck around when Mike Macdonald was hired to replace Pete Carroll.
Speaking with Field Gulls earlier in the week, the former NC State star pushed back on the idea that the Raiders letting him go was a surprise, although something else did surprise him.
“You said it was surprising, I wasn’t really surprised with just the way things were over there,” Thomas said. “So it wasn’t really unexpected. But to be claimed by Pete Carroll and the Seahawks, that was a little bit unexpected but it was super exciting. My first year was a lot of fun being able to be in Seattle under Pete Carroll and learn from a lot of veteran guys. And to be still here it’s been a huge blessing, I’m just really thankful to be part of this organization.”
Being undrafted (and in Thomas’ case, considered undersized at 5’11”) can create that “chip on the shoulder” mentality for a lot of NFL players, but Thomas says that isn’t the case for him.
“For me, personally, I don’t think I’m really looking to prove anybody wrong, necessarily,” Thomas said. “I don’t try to hold that against anybody. Everybody one has their own opinions and everyone has the right to their own coming out of the draft. I get the measurables thing and all that, but I just want to go out there and be there for my teammates and execute what my coaches put in front of me.”
Having taken over for Tyrice Knight in the starting lineup at weakside linebacker, Thomas has flourished in Mike Macdonald’s system, recording 4.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss out of his 97 tackles total. No play, however, was more important to Seattle’s NFC West triumph and eventual No. 1 seed berth than his interception off of San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey’s hands in Week 18.
“It happened really fast,” Thomas said. “It was kind of surreal in the moment. It really didn’t even process, like, the ball just ended up in my hands. A crazy moment, for sure.”
Thomas plays alongside middle linebacker Ernest Jones IV, who was just named second-team All-Pro this season. It’s clearly been a working combination all season.
“I feel like we really complement each other well,” Thomas said. “He’s a great person to play aside and just a great person to have in the room I really appreciate what he brings to the table every single day.
“As far as playing together, I feel like he allows me to play the way that I want to play and vice versa. He has a great feel for that linebacker spot playing in the middle of the field. It’s a blessing to have him next to me on the field.”