NFL legend praises Louisville Wide Receiver Jamari Thrash’s NFL upside.
Former Panthers wideout Steve Smith Sr. recently analyzed the former Cardinals receiver, and he liked what he saw on tape and at his Pro Day.
A number of former Louisville football players will be expecting to hear their names called on draft night as the 2024 NFL Draft approaches. Wide receiver Jamari Thrash, who began his career at Georgia State before transferring to Louisville for the 2023 season, is one such NFL potential.
The top receivers in this year’s draft class include Rome Odunze and Marvin Harrison Jr. Nonetheless, one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history thinks Thrash is one of the top wide out prospects available this year and is excited about his potential for advancement.
Steve Smith Sr., a former wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers and current NFL Network commentator, recently dissected Thrash’s film and Pro Day performance on his YouTube show Cut To It. Thrash’s route-running prowess and general football IQ were both commended by Smith.
“What I have highlighted, starred: very smart,” Smith said. Very, very, very smart. … Pro Day was explosive. When I was at his Pro Day, they had him run a little jerk route. He runs, settles his feet, goes the opposite way, and I believe he actually came out faster once he restarted than he did when he started. He can run. Fluid, sinking his hips well, caught the ball and he was smooth, adjusted to some of the bad throws and adjusted some of the good throws.”
Smith then started dissecting some of Thrash’s tape, which included footage from Louisville’s matches against Pitt, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Murray State, Indiana, Boston College, and NC State. Thrash probably projects as an outside receiver in the NFL, he concluded his analysis, but he emphasized that the former Cardinal possesses the speed, route-running, and cunning to succeed in the league.
“He understands exactly where he is on the field,” Smith said. “He knows exactly who he is, and if you draft him, you need to know who he is: He is an XY receiver. Not just a guy with speed, but he also has routes. Usually with a guy was speed, you say he only runs three or four routes. This guy, he could run every route in the route tree. He’s still a young kid, but he’s exceptionally smart. I loved his Pro Day and I love what I saw. He is definitely a chain mover and a deep threat on your offense once you draft this kid.”
Despite having a wrist ailment that occasionally restricted him in the second half of the season, Thrash still established himself as one of the best receivers in the ACC. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound wide receiver led Louisville with 63 receptions for 858 yards and six touchdowns while starting all 13 of the team’s games.
His receiving total came in at number four, and he was selected to the Second Team All-ACC as a result of his third-place yardage mark.
The LaGrange, Georgia native played for Georgia State in the offseason before joining Louisville. In 2022, he was among the FBS’s most explosive athletes. During the course of 12 starts that season, Thrash recorded 61 receptions for 1,112 yards and seven touchdowns; the yardage total ranked 13th nationally. During his four years with the Panthers, Thrash caught 104 catches for 1,752 yards and 12 touchdowns in 30 games with 17 starts.
