Justin Thomas: Triple-option quarterback to Saints cornerback

Several quarterbacks were brought in for the New Orleans Saints rookie mini-camp this past weekend.

Veteran quarterback Matt Simms, Baylor’s Seth Russell, and Minnesota-Duluth’s Drew Bauer all tried out. But the Saints also signed another quarterback to their offseason roster this weekend. They signed Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas on Sunday after he participated in the three-day minicamp.

Wait, are we talking about a kid that ran a triple option offense in college? Someone that only completed 48% of his passes in his 4 years college career? Easy there, folks.

While Thomas played quarterback in college, the Saints signed him officially as a defensive back.

If there’s any place Justin Thomas can be successful, it’s in New Orleans. The team has had several players make the 53-man regular season roster after going undrafted over the past decade. Wide receiver Lance Moore, running back Pierre Thomas, and offensive lineman Brian de la Puente all saw success with the team after being undrafted.

Justin Thomas has the support of his college coach Paul Johnson, who spoke highly of him before the draft.

"“He’s just got tremendous play-making skills. He’s a gifted athlete. I think he has a lot of position flexibility and he’d just be an asset to any team.”"

Only time will tell if Justin Thomas can find success on the Saints. While he signed as a defensive back, he could very well provide depth at wide receiver and as a kick returner. The Saints have been looking for speed in the return game ever since running back Darren Sproles was traded in 2014.

So if Thomas can play the role of athlete for a few years, he can use that time to work on his defensive skills. It may take a few years, but Justin Thomas could very well become a face you get used to seeing in the defensive backfield.