Former Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas cleared a significant hurdle in his attempt to play in the NFL this past weekend, when he earned a contract from the New Orleans Saints with his play in the team’s rookie minicamp Friday through Sunday.
The next steps for Thomas: Deciding on a position, either cornerback or wide receiver, and learning both the team’s scheme and the position itself. One aspect of the jump that is highly encouraging for Thomas is that there’s a history of players making the same transition.
What Thomas brings are both tangible assets – speed, quickness and coordination, most prominently – and intangible qualities – dedication, football smarts, fearlessness – to give himself a shot. He’ll need patience, both from himself and the team, and ideally a plan from the team to develop him over more than just a few months.