Not only is ESPN's Field Yates one of the biggest fans of former Oklahoma defensive end R Mason Thomas, but he also predicts what would be a dream destination for a chunk of Sooner Nation.
Yates has Thomas going a lot higher than most experts in his latest mock draft, with the Dallas Cowboys selecting Thomas with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. Most mock drafts have Thomas as a fringe first-round pick and often waiting until the second round.
ESPN's Field Yates predicts dream scenario while praising R Mason Thomas
"Thomas is my type of football player as an explosive, powerful and relentless pass rusher," Yates wrote. "Plus, he has heavy hands and a nasty attitude when defending the run (21 run stops over the past two seasons). Thomas dealt with an injury for part of the 2025 season, but he still finished with 6.5 sacks and 23 pressures in nine games.
"The Cowboys must keep hammering away at their pass rush to find some semblance of what they had with Micah Parsons. Dallas traded for edge rusher Rashan Gary to boost this same initiative."
Considering the Sooners' massive footprint in the DFW area and that Dallas is the closest NFL franchise to Norman, there would be a lot of OU fans thrilled with this landing spot for Thomas. He would also join fellow former Sooners wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and offensive tackle Tyler Guyton on the Cowboys' current roster.
Based on recent mock drafts from major outlets, only CBS Sports' Pete Prisco is higher on Thomas than Yates, with Prisco also predicting Thomas to be a Cowboy with the 12th overall pick. The fact two major draft analysts have the Cowboys jumping early on Thomas reveals that there's serious interest there.
Obviously Yates keeps up with the NFL for a living now for ESPN, but before getting into media, Yates spent seven years in NFL front offices and on coaching staff between the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs, so he has an even more valuable insight than most.
Thomas played in 42 games during his four-year career with the Sooners. Last season, even while missing three games because of a hamstring issue, Thomas was still second on the team with 6.5 sacks, plus 26 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.