At Yale, Thomas II played in parts of 14 games his first two seasons before he started his ascent. In 2019, he started nine games at linebacker for the Bulldogs, earning All-Ivy League Honorable Mention accolades after finishing 11th in the conference interceptions (two), 14th in tackles for loss (7.0) and 15th in pass breakups (five).
His move to safety was delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was worth the wait. In 2021, Thomas II ranked third in the conference with 11 pass breakups, and he finished with 50 total tackles and two interceptions, earning First-Team All-Ivy League accolades, as well as a selection to the All-New England Team.
In the process, Thomas II on Saturday became Yale’s first NFL Draft selection since Foye Oluokun in 2018.
“I am incredibly proud and excited for Rodney and his family. He was a huge part of our success here at Yale because of his relentless pursuit to be elite on the field, in the meeting room and as a teammate,” Yale head coach Tony…