Cameron Thomas and the future of the pass rush

Cameron Thomas will need to be an important part of the Arizona Cardinals pass rush

This past weekend, Arizona dropped their final preseason matchup to the Tennessee Titans in a very close game. It was truly an exciting game to watch. Particularly, Arizona’s defense looked faster than in recent weeks and although there is more work that needs to be done before the season starts, Arizona’s pass rush looked promising. Their performance was led by outside linebacker Cameron Thomas.

Cameron Thomas was drafted by the Cardinals out of San Diego State in the 3rd round of the draft this past April. Thomas was selected to help fill the shoes of ex-Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones who left the desert via free agency in March.

Thomas had arguably his best season in college as a junior and was named Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. Starting all 14 games for the Aztecs, Thomas notched 20.5 tackles for a loss, 71 total tackles, and 10.5 sacks while also forcing a fumble. He was powerful off the edge and made it difficult for teams to contain him.

Thomas will most likely play the same role he did in college in the Cardinals’ 3-4 defensive scheme.  Thomas is only a rookie and he is competing with fellow draft pick, Myjai Sanders for time on the field. Veterans Dennis Gardeck, Markus Golden, and Devon Kennard all have an edge over the rookie pass rushers because of their experience. Still, depending on what happens during the season, Thomas and Sanders could see the field more than they were told.

Thomas is fast and quick off the edge and has powerful technique. If he can play the way he did in college, he will definitely find his way onto the field sooner rather than later. He proved what he was capable of in Arizona’s most recent preseason game.

Although there has been some struggle for the young edge rusher this offseason, Thomas had himself a night this past weekend after notching 2 sacks and 3 solo tackles in Arizona’s loss. Thomas looked like his college self and showed some promise for the future.

As the first week of the season approaches it will be interesting to see how Thomas will be used in the defense this year. Hopefully, he can fulfill the promise that he has shown this preseason.