Devan Thompkins

Devan Thompkins is a big, long defensive lineman whose game keeps climbing. He played basketball for years and only took up football as a high school senior, which explains why he still looks raw in places. After sparse snaps in his first two seasons at USC, he became a regular in 2024, then had his best year in 2025 with 31 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble before transferring to Alabama. The Tide use him at Bandit end and at tackle, and his best work comes rushing from inside, where length and power collapse the pocket. A two-sack, forced-fumble game at Kentucky earned SEC defensive lineman of the week, and he added two more sacks at LSU, so he sits at five sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss through ten games. His size lets him take on double teams on early downs without giving ground, and his program treats him as a captain. The worries are a rush that leans on power more than a plan, average timed speed that limits him around the corner, and snaps where he blends into the line. Scheme fit is flexible: five-technique in an odd front, three-technique or rotational rusher in an even one. Evaluators are split on his stock, but the typical view is a second-round lineman with starting upside if his counters keep developing.