When New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh has talked about building an offense around quarterback Jaxson Dart, he’s talked about making it “dynamic”.
When it comes to dynamism, it doesn’t get more dynamic than Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson. Thompson is one of the fastest players in the draft, turning a 4.26-second 40-yard dash and one of the premier deep threats. His average target came 18.4 yards downfield last year, 6th most among receivers in college football.
Thompson is undersized, though that doesn’t seem to phase Harbaugh, who’s Baltimore Ravens teams have repeatedly drafted undersized receivers. Does his speed and home run ability put Thompson on the Giants’ radar?
Prospect: Brenen Thompson (0)
Games Watched: vs. Tennessee (2025), vs. Florida (2025), vs. Texas (2025)
Red Flags: Hamstring (2023, 2025), Foot (2024)
Measurables
Strengths
Best traits
- Speed
- Explosiveness
- Agility
- Competitive toughness
Brenen Thompson is a very undersized receiving prospect, but will be one of the most explosively athletic players in the NFL the moment he steps on the field.
Thompson threatened the NFL Scouting Combine’s record for the 40-yard Dash with a 4.26, and plays up to that speed on the field. He is able to easily run past defensive backs, even if they’re giving him a cushion and are prepared for his speed. The threat he presents is enough to force defenses into two-deep shells, which helped to enable Mississippi State’s run first offense.
He wasn’t asked to run a particularly varied route tree at Mississippi State, however his athleticism allowed him to execute the routes he was asked to run well enough. For instance, Thompson also shows some understanding of how to use his speed to manipulate defenders. He routinely used an explosive release and pressed the stems of his come-back routes vertically before sharply cutting back to the ball.
Thompson flashes good ball skills both down the field and in the short-to-intermediate area of the field. He does a good job of locating the ball in the air, and playing with good body control to extend and contort his body to maximize his catch radius. Thompson is also a legitimate threat in run-after-catch situations. He has solid vision and contact balance to find creases and survive incidental contact on the move, while his agility and explosiveness allow him to pick up chunk yardage.
Finally, Thompson plays with impressive competitive toughness. He’s a very small receiver, but never backs down against bigger defenders – which is pretty much every defender. He throws himself into his blocks and doggedly tries to sustain for as long as possible. Likewise, he plays hard away from the ball and is willing to run full speed, even when he’s eye candy.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Size
- Contested catches
- Health
The biggest and most obvious weakness in Thompson’s game is obvious: His size.
Thompson is very undersized for an NFL receiver at 5-foot-8, 164 pounds, with 29 ⅜ inch arms. His lack of mass does help enable his impressive acceleration and agility, but it also limits his game in several ways.
First and foremost, Thompson can struggle to get off man coverage. He’s explosive off the line, but his routes are easily disrupted by a good jam, as even an undersized cornerback could have 20 pounds on him. He doesn’t present much surface area to jam, but his short arms make it that much harder to fight through physical coverage. Likewise, he can be knocked off the ball at the catch point, and he doesn’t have the size or strength to compete in contested catch situations.
Thompson’s height and short arms also severely limit his catch radius. He might have an explosive lower body, and good body control, but there are few defenders he’ll high-point the ball over. That has led to some frustrating drops in contested catch situations and a concerning 8.1 percent drop rate.
Thompson also needs to continue to hone his craft as a receiver to fully turn his size limitations into assets. He has a tendency to look for the ball early in his route, compromising his speed and ability to separate, as well as cluing defenders into the fact that the ball is inbound. Likewise, he needs to more fully use his speed, quickness, and agility to execute set-up moves to weaponize his route stems. He has the potential to be a devastating route runner who can separate at will, but isn’t there yet.
Finally, teams will need to do their due diligence on Thompson’s medical reports. He’s had a series of nagging injuries, including hamstring (2023) and foot (2024) injuries that cost him games.
Game Tape
(Thompson is the Mississippi State wide receiver wearing number 0.)
Projection
Brenen Thompson projects as a relatively high-snap rotational player at the NFL level.
He’s unlikely to be considered a potential starter for many – if any – teams, however his explosive athleticism and competitiveness are undeniable weapons. His greatest potential likely lies with a creative offensive mind that’s willing to use him in a variety of alignments to ensure free releases and scheme him touches in space. That might be as a speed slot, in bunch formations, or even out of the backfield.
He might not see a high volume of targets, however his explosiveness means that he can change the complexion of a game any time he touches the ball. Thompson has the upside to be a feared weapon for a team that’s able to create situations for him.
Does he fit the Giants? Possibly, depending on value and scheme
Final Word: A later Day 2 value
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