Drake Thomas Bio
Drake Thomas (born February 25, 2000) is an American professional football linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). A graduate of North Carolina State University, Thomas joined the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and has built his early pro career on special teams play and steadily growing defensive snaps. Standing roughly 6 feet tall and playing around 230 pounds, he fits the modern inside-linebacker profile with the versatility to contribute in coverage, run support, and on kicking units.
Early Life and Background
Drake Thomas was born on February 25, 2000, and grew up in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He attended Heritage High School, where he lined up at both linebacker and running back. Thomas set the Heritage High School record for career tackles, finishing with 393 stops, including 203 solo tackles, numbers that quickly made him one of the most productive defensive players in the program.
His high school production drew statewide and national attention. Recruiting analysts at 247Sports rated him as the 22nd-best player in North Carolina and the 19th-best inside linebacker in the country for his class. That blend of production and ranking helped him secure a commitment to NC State, where he would go on to develop into one of the most consistent linebackers in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Path to American Football
Thomas’s path to professional football began in the hallways of Heritage High School, where his tackle totals put him on the radar of major college programs. By choosing NC State, he entered a defensive system with a strong reputation for developing NFL-ready linebackers and immediately earned a role as a true freshman in 2019. He appeared in 12 games that year, starting three, and recorded 34 tackles and one interception, an early sign of the playmaking instincts that would define his college career.
Each season brought a clear step forward in production, and by his senior year he had grown into a team captain and one of the conference’s most disruptive linebackers. The combination of consistent tackling, pass-rush production, and coverage ability made him an attractive pro prospect, even if his draft stock did not lead to a selection.
Drake Thomas Career
Early Career (2019–2020)
Thomas’s early college career was marked by steady accumulation of experience at NC State. After his freshman debut season, he returned for his sophomore year in 2020 and started 10 games while posting 58 total tackles. That total ranked 30th in the ACC in tackles per game and placed him fifth on the Wolfpack roster, establishing him as a reliable every-down defender.
Those two seasons laid the groundwork for the breakout that followed, as Thomas proved he could handle the physical and mental demands of ACC football on a week-to-week basis.
NC State Wolfpack Breakthrough (2021–2022)
Thomas’s junior season in 2021 was his first true signature year. He started all 12 games, led the Wolfpack in tackles with 100 total stops, and added six sacks and three interceptions. The all-around production earned him first-team all-conference honors and fourth-team All-American recognition, putting him on NFL scouts’ radars across the league.
As a senior in 2022, Thomas was named a team captain and earned second-team All-ACC recognition after compiling 101 tackles and 7.5 sacks. He closed his college career with 293 tackles, four interceptions, and 19.5 sacks across 47 games played, a stat line that illustrated his growth from a tackling-only freshman into a complete linebacker who could rush the passer and disrupt the passing game.
Seattle Seahawks Era (2023–Present)
After going unselected in the 2023 NFL draft, Thomas was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent. He was waived on August 29, 2023, and one day later, on August 30, 2023, was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Seahawks. He was placed on injured reserve on November 6 of his rookie year as he adjusted to the pace of the professional game.
In 2024, Thomas began the offseason on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list before being cleared on August 12 after passing his physical. He went on to play in all 17 games, logging about 70 percent of Seattle’s special teams snaps while contributing a smaller share of defensive reps. By the 2025 season, his role had grown significantly; through the first seven weeks he was playing roughly 50 percent of defensive snaps, recording 32 combined tackles, 16 solo tackles, and 2 sacks while still handling 99 special teams snaps.
Driving Style and Strengths
Thomas is a compact, instinctive linebacker whose strengths show up most clearly in run support and on special teams. His college tackle totals translated to dependable open-field angles in the NFL, and his pass-rush production as a Wolfpack senior suggested he can win one-on-one matchups when used as a blitzer. His partnership with the Seahawks’ coaching staff has leaned on him as a versatile chess piece who can cover injured secondary players, hold the edge against the run, and contribute on every kicking unit.
Notable Events and Milestones
Signing with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and quickly landing with the Seattle Seahawks via waivers stand as the defining early milestones of his professional career. His first-team All-ACC selection in 2021 and second-team All-ACC nod in 2022 bracket the most decorated stretch of his college resume, and his 2025 growth into a 50 percent defensive snap role represents his biggest professional milestone to date.
Drake Thomas Career Wins
Drake Thomas’s career is still in its early professional stages, so his win totals are measured in team results and personal production rather than championship hardware. At NC State, he helped anchor defenses that reached multiple bowl games, and with the Seattle Seahawks he has been part of a steadily improving special teams unit while carving out a larger defensive role.
NC State Wolfpack Highlights
Thomas’s most decorated college season came in 2021, when he led the Wolfpack with 100 tackles, 6 sacks, and 3 interceptions and was named first-team All-ACC. He closed his career with 293 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 19.5 sacks across 47 games, a production profile that made him one of the most consistent linebackers in program history.
Other Wins & Performances
At Heritage High School, Thomas set the school record for career tackles with 393 stops, including 203 solo tackles, an early indication of the production that would follow at the college level. In 2022, he added second-team All-ACC honors to his resume while serving as a team captain.
Drake Thomas Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Drake Thomas comes from an athletic family rooted in North Carolina. He is the younger brother of Thayer Thomas, a wide receiver who has played for the Denver Broncos. The two brothers also shared the field at NC State, where they overlapped as teammates during Drake’s college career.
Personal Life
Thomas continues to be closely tied to his North Carolina roots and his family. His relationship with his older brother Thayer remains a notable personal connection, with both brothers having reached the NFL after coming up through the same high school and college programs.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season has marked a clear step forward for Drake Thomas in Seattle. Through the first seven weeks, he has been on the field for roughly half of the Seahawks’ defensive snaps, a significant jump from his 2024 role, while still holding down a substantial workload on special teams with 99 snaps already logged.
His statistical production has kept pace with the increased opportunity. Thomas has recorded 32 combined tackles, 16 solo tackles, and 2 sacks in those seven weeks, numbers that reflect his growing trust with the coaching staff and his value as a versatile defender. He has also helped cover for injured secondary players, an assignment that has shown off his coverage skills and football intelligence.
Looking ahead, Thomas appears firmly in the Seahawks’ long-term linebacker plans. With continued improvement in his pass-rush timing and run fits, he has a realistic path to a full-time starting role as the season progresses.