The Kansas City Chiefs continue to bring players in for top-30 visits, this time hosting a standout from the East-West Shrine Bowl.
According to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, the Chiefs are one of two teams (along with the Detroit Lions) hosting Stephen F. Austin EDGE BJ Thompson on a top-30 visit. If you’re not familiar with top-30 visits, NFL teams receive an allotment of 30 visits with which they can host draft prospects. It’s an opportunity to bring players to team facilities to get to know them better in a more personal experience. This is now the third reported top-30 visit for Kansas City, alongside Pittsburgh DL Deslin Alexandre and Western Kentucky DT Brodric Martin.
Wilson also reports that Thompson, who is listed at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds with 34-inch arms, is expected to perform extremely well at his pro day on March 21. He suggests that the edge rusher boasts 4.4 speed, a 40-inch vertical, and a 135-inch broad jump. Those would rival the athletic testing of Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith, who posted the top numbers at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Stephen F. Austin edge rusher BJ Thompson @SFA_Football has top-30 visits with #Chiefs #Lions per source. An England, Arkansas native, Thompson (6-5, 240, 4.4 speed, 40-inch vertical, 11-3 broad jump) expected to dominate drills at March 21 Pro Day @ShrineBowl @EricGalko @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 10, 2023
Thompson originally began his career in Waco, Texas at Baylor and transferred to play for the Lumberjacks after two seasons with the Bears. He started 27 games with Stephen F. Austin from 2020-2022, recording 69 total tackles with 18.5 sacks.
Watching his tape, Thompson is much more of a threat to win with speed off the edge than he is with power. His first step is explosive, which was showcased in the East-West Shrine Bowl when he recorded four total tackles, 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits. Could Thompson end up being this year’s James Houston for the edge rusher group in the 2023 NFL draft?
