Why Shamarko Thomas Is Pittsburgh Steelers' Most Underrated X-Factor in 2015

One year ago, Martavis Bryant came into the NFL as a tall, but raw prospect from Clemson. By the end of the season, he was exactly the type of player that the Pittsburgh Steelers needed.

Though he never had a starting role, Bryant was one of the most underrated X-factors for Pittsburgh’s record-setting offense in 2014. In just 10 games, he made 26 receptions for 549 yards and eight touchdowns.

The potential was there for Bryant to make an impact, but even the most optimistic never would have predicted an eight-touchdown season for him. Now as the Steelers enter the 2015 season, they have many known commodities on offense, which means that they need a player to step up on defense.

Obvious choices would include Jarvis Jones and Ryan Shazier, but as former first-round selections, they are expected to develop into playmakers. Instead, the focus will be on the under-the-radar defenders who could make an impact.

One name to consider is Daniel McCullers, the 6’7”, 352-pound nose tackle who played sparingly as a rookie but has a chance to make a big impact on running downs this year.

However, the Steelers need more than a role player for their defense to improve this year. Besides the pass rush, there is no area in need of improvement more than the secondary.

The Steelers already have some idea of what they will get from William Gay, Cortez Allen and Mike Mitchell, but the great unknown is Shamarko Thomas. He also happens to be the player in charge of taking Troy Polamalu’s place in the lineup.

Thomas seemed poised to have a prominent role in the defense after the Steelers traded up to select him in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft.

As a rookie, Thomas accumulated 189 defensive snaps in 14 games—including two starts. He finished the year with 29 tackles and had a season-high eight tackles against the New England Patriots. His future looked bright.

Season	Games Played	Tackles	Sacks	Forced Fumbles	Interceptions	Passes Defensed
2013	14	29	0	0	0	0
2014	11	5	0	2	0	0

Thomas’ second year did not goes as planned, as he was relegated to special teams duty and only played three defensive snaps all season. Part of this reason is due to a number of injuries that he has experienced throughout the early part of his career.

“(The injuries) definitely set me back,” Thomas told Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “It was definitely a learning process. It taught me to take care of my body better. It set me back but gave me motivation to get better. It's definitely a big offseason for me.”

Work ethic has never been a problem for Thomas. He is one of the most well-conditioned athletes on the team. He also benefited from a week of training with Polamalu last offseason. With two years under his belt, it is now or never.

Aside from his lack of height, Thomas came into the NFL with high accolades. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds at the combine, had 28 reps on the bench and was a top performer in the vertical and broad jump.

Height	Weight	40-Yard Dash	Bench Press	Vertical Jump	Broad Jump	20-Yard Shuttle
5'9"	213 lbs	4.42 sec	28 reps	40.5 inch	133.0 inch	4.26 sec

Mike Mayock of NFL Media had high praise for Thomas after the Steelers drafted him: “I love this kid. You talk about Steelers picking tough guys. This guy reminds me of Bob Sanders. He's undersized but plays like a human missile.”

Thomas does not have the special ability that Polamalu had—no one does—but he can develop into a similar type of player.

As a hard hitter, Thomas can play near the line of scrimmage and make plays in the backfield while defending the run. In college, he finished with 16.5 tackles for a loss and added 4.0 sacks. His ability in coverage is evident at the safety position or in the slot.

Despite all of his athletic talent, though, he has not made many plays on the ball. During his time at Syracuse, he only had two interceptions, seven passes defended and four forced fumbles. So far in the NFL he only has two forced fumbles.

With a better knowledge of the defense and more opportunities, Thomas will finally have the opportunity to put his athletic skills to use and become a playmaker in the secondary. His comfort level in the defense will allow him to play faster with less thinking and more reacting on the field.

At the conclusion of the 2014 season, Thomas told Scott Brown of ESPN.com that he is just waiting for his opportunity to show what he can do:

"I'm looking for any opportunity I can seize," said Thomas, who missed five games this season with separate hamstring injuries. "I know that I am capable. I work hard, I prepare like a professional. It's just when they call my name I have to be ready."

Without Polamalu blocking his path to the starting lineup, it is Thomas’ job to lose. The Steelers hope that his presence in the lineup can help upgrade not only their rush defense, but more importantly their No. 27-ranked pass defense.

A hallmark of Pittsburgh’s defense is its ability to prevent against the big play and that is something they failed at last season. According to SportingCharts.com, the Steelers allowed 88 big plays—rushing plays over 10 yards and passing plays over 25 yards—which was the sixth-worst in the league.

Nothing against Polamalu’s great career, but he was a liability in coverage and was a step or two slower than he was in the prime of his career. A young safety with fresh legs should be in good position to help a defense that figures to be more aggressive under new coordinator Keith Butler.

Thomas has a lot to prove, but he has the skills necessary to develop into a quality NFL starter and one who will excel in Butler’s defensive scheme.

As long as Thomas lives up to his potential, Pittsburgh’s secondary will be in much better shape and the defense as a whole will take a giant leap toward respectability for the 2015 season.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of ESPN.com and roster information is courtesy of Steelers.com.  

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