Skyler Thomas is a safety and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played his entire collegiate career with the Oregon State Beavers. A native of Menlo Park, California, Thomas attended Menlo-Atherton High School before transferring to Heard County High School in Franklin, Georgia, for his senior year. He was rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports and chose Oregon State over California. He appeared in 12 games as a true freshman in 2021, recording his first career interception, then posted 29 tackles, one tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery in 2022 before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in training camp ahead of 2023, costing him the entire season. He returned healthy in 2024 as a full-time starter, leading Oregon State with 81 tackles while adding nine pass deflections and an interception, then capped his career in 2025 by again leading the team with 78 tackles while adding four pass deflections and an interception in 12 starts. He accepted an invitation to the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl, capping a career in which he overcame two major injury setbacks to become one of the Beavers' most productive defensive backs.
Standing 6-foot-2 and 191 pounds, Thomas is known for his reliable tackling near the line of scrimmage, range in run support, and the steady development that made him a trusted starter in the Pac-12 and later the Big 12 over back-to-back seasons despite the injury interruption in his career. NFL evaluators project him as a developmental safety at the next level, where his size, experience at multiple levels of the defense, and special teams potential give him a pathway to a roster spot as a physical, instinct-driven defensive back who can contribute in run-support-heavy roles and compete for a rotational safety position in the right scheme.
