Will R Mason Thomas hear his name called in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night and become Oklahoma’s 50th all-time first-round pick? ESPN's Field Yates said yes in his final mock draft on the day of the draft, projecting Thomas to the Chicago Bears at No. 25 overall.
Yates has been high on Thomas throughout the draft process, projecting him to go 20th overall to the Dallas Cowboys in his last mock draft. This time, Yates noted that, “Chicago has put an emphasis on getting faster this offseason, and Thomas would support that push.”
Field Yates still high on R Mason Thomas on day of NFL Draft
Thomas made headlines during the pre-draft process with his “mass times acceleration equals force” comment, and it’s an unironically accurate way to describe how he plays the game. His combination of power and burst consistently shows up on tape.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock -- or just don’t watch college football -- you’ve seen Thomas take over games, regardless of how much attention he draws. The flashes are undeniable.
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There’s the game-sealing sack safety against Auburn, where he powered through a double team, and the scoop-and-score against Tennessee, where he fought through contact and took it to the house while hobbling to the finish line with an injury that ultimately sidelined him for the remainder of the regular season. He returned for the College Football Playoff matchup against Alabama, though he wasn’t able to swing the game in Oklahoma’s favor.
Last season, even while missing three games because of that hamstring injury, Thomas was still second on the team with 6.5 sacks, plus 26 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
Mason Thomas (249 lbs) goes speed to power with the long arm rush. @thomss_r “shot puts” the 319 lb blocker into the feet of the QB!
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) September 20, 2025
Jackson Arnold has nowhere to go with the ball & gets sacked in the end zone for the game sealing safety! #PassRush #Sooners #BoomerSooner #ODUNA pic.twitter.com/NrDKJ4Oj06
Thomas further solidified his stock at the NFL Combine, clocking a 4.67 in the 40-yard dash with a 1.63-second 10-yard split. His 40 time ranked No. 10 among participating edge rushers, placing him firmly among the more athletic prospects at his position.
He stands as Oklahoma’s top prospect, ranked No. 47 by PFF, though there has been some discussion about whether he will be the first Sooner off the board. Thomas is still widely viewed as a Day 2 selection, but with late momentum building, there remains a real chance he could sneak into the first round and make Sooner history.
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