[2022 Draft/5-150] Thomas Booker, DT, Stanford

THOMAS BOOKER | Stanford 6033 | 301 lbs. | SR. Ellicott City, Md. (Gilman) 11/11/1999 (age 22.46) #4

BACKGROUND: Earl Thomas Booker IV, who has an older sister, grew up in the Baltimore suburbs and played basketball throughout his childhood. Due to youth league weight limits and his parent’s insistence on waiting, he didn’t start playing football until the sixth grade. He attended Gilman, an all-boys private school, for elementary, middle and high school (same school where his father graduated). Booker made varsity as a freshman and became a starting defensive lineman and tight end as a sophomore, leading Gilman to the 2015 state championship. As a junior, he posted 77 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and one interception to earn First Team All-State honors, adding 112 receiving yards and a touchdown catch on offense. As a senior, Booker earned All-Metro honors for the second consecutive year with 39 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks and one forced fumble. He also lettered in basketball and track (team captain). He finished first with a 48’6.5 shot put at the indoor track championships, leading Gilman to the 2018 Maryland indoor championship.

A four-star defensive end recruit out of high school, Booker was the No. 11 strongside defensive end in the 2018 recruiting class and the No. 9 recruit in the state of Maryland. Coming from an academically focused family, his recruiting was different than most athletes. Booker received offers from top national programs like Georgia, LSU and Ohio State, but his final list was Notre Dame, Stanford and several Ivy League schools like Harvard. Stanford had the inside track after Booker was accepted into the school’s high school summer program and he aced two classes the summer prior to his junior year of high school. He was familiar with the campus and committed to Stanford, despite it being nearly 3,000 miles away from home. His father (Thomas) played linebacker at Wisconsin and started as a true freshman in 1980. His mother (Ava Lias-Booker) is a partner at a respected Baltimore law practice. His older sister (Sydney) played tennis and graduated from Princeton before graduating from Duke law school. His cousin (Corbin) played lacrosse at Brown (2012-15). Booker accepted his invitation to the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl.

STRENGTHS: Looks the part with his dense, athletic frame and packed on muscle, especially in his legs and bubble ... athletic, loose mover with the initial quickness to penetrate gaps ... flashes an explosive, upward punch to jolt blockers off balance and reset the line of scrimmage ... his hands are active and persistent off the ball ... flashes a closing burst down the line in the run game ... three blocked extra-point attempts in his career ... two-time team captain and NFL coaches will appreciate his sharp attitude ... highly accomplished in the classroom as a double major (economics and communications) with a 3.88 GPA, twice earning CoSIDA Academic All- American honors.

WEAKNESSES: Average arm length and blockers can get into his frame ... inconsistent snap anticipation ... his hands are quick, but not always efficient, stalling his pass rush ... undeveloped secondary moves ... uneven anchor in the run game and can be turned or knocked off balance ... overwhelmed vs. double teams ... usually ends up where blockers want, struggling to shed or stay ahead of the action ... his backfield vision is below average and slow to sniff out screen passes ... leaves too much tackle production on the field.

SUMMARY: A four-year starter at Stanford, Booker was a versatile defensive tackle in defensive coordinator Lance Anderson’s hybrid front, lining up everywhere from the five-technique to the nose. He finished his time at Stanford with an accomplished résumé both on the field (earned All-Pac 12 honors each of his last three seasons) and off the field (finalist for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy, a.k.a. the Academic Heisman). Booker has the initial quickness to threaten gaps and he is at his best when he springs into blockers with low pads to create movement. However, he spends too much time hand-fighting when his initial momentum doesn’t work, lacking the point-of-attack technique or counters to detach. Overall, Booker is a unique prospect with his intelligence, physical traits and mature makeup, but he needs to get an early advantage or he struggles to be a factor. He has the tools to be a rotational three-technique with some teams curious about a transition to the offensive line.

GRADE: 5th-6th Round