Rams Pick at 182 … Hodges-Tomlinson, CB

TRE TOMLINSON | TCU 5075 | 178 lbs. | 4SR Waco, Texas (Midway) 1/10/2001 (age 22.30) #1

BACKGROUND: Tre’Vius (Trey-vee-us) “Tre” Tomlinson (formerly Hodges-Tomlinson) grew up in Marlin (central Texas), where he started playing football at age 5, primarily as a running back. His family moved to Waco in middle school, and he attended Midway High School. A three-year letterman, Tomlinson played some wide receiver and also returned kicks, but his focus was at defensive back, playing cornerback, nickel and safety. As a junior, he accounted for 63 tackles, three interceptions and three touchdowns (fumble return, interception return and kickoff return). As a senior, Tomlinson was named first team All-District on defense with 85 tackles, two interceptions (both returned for touchdowns) and a blocked field goal. He led Midway to an 11-2 record and the 2018 playoff semifinals before falling to powerhouse Allen High. Tomlinson also lettered in track (sprints and relays) and set a personal best in the 100 meters (11.04). A three-star recruit, Tomlinson was the No. 113 safety in the 2019 recruiting class and the No. 175 recruit in Texas. He received his first offer from Texas State followed by Kansas State and his hometown Baylor. Tomlinson grew up dreaming of playing at TCU for Gary Patterson, but the Horned Frogs didn’t pull the trigger on an offer, and he appeared headed for Baylor. However, after a plea from his Hall of Fame uncle, Tomlinson received the TCU offer a few weeks before signing day and committed. His uncle (LaDainian Tomlinson) rushed for 5,263 yards at TCU and was a first-round pick (No. 5) in the 2001 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. An 11- year NFL veteran, Tomlinson was a five-time Pro Bowler and inducted into both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fames. Tomlinson accepted his invitation to the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl.

YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES
2019: (12/1) 8 0.0 0.0 0 1 0
2020: (10/10) 26 0.0 0.0 0 13 0 First Team All-Big 12; Led team in PD
2021: (12/12) 41 2.0 0.0 2 9 2 First Team All-Big 12; Led team in PD, INTs; 29-yard INT TD
2022: (15/15) 50 2.0 0.0 1 18 3 First Team All-American; Jim Thorpe Award; First Team All-Big 12; Led team in PD
Total: (49/38) 125 4.0 0.0 3 41 5

HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
COMBINE 5075 178 29 8 5/8 70 1/2 4.41 2.48 1.47 39 11’0” – – 12 (no shuttle or 3-cone — choice)
PRO DAY 5076 181 30 3/8 8 1/8 71 – – – – – – – – (stood on Combine testing)

STRENGTHS: Exceptional speed, agility and lower-body explosiveness … oily hips for sudden-twitch movements and directional change … displays short-area burst out of his pedal to jump routes … shows a developed feel for reading play indicators and breaks … eyes consistently lead him to passing windows … accounted for 40 passes defended in 37 games the past three seasons … gave up only two catches of 25-plus yards in 2022 (on 81 targets) … plays with the competitive toughness of a much bigger player, attacking blockers or ball carriers with a head of steam … missed tackles decreased each season at TCU … grew up training with his Hall of Fame uncle and developed a battled-tested mentality.

WEAKNESSES: Substantially undersized with subpar height, weight and length … will struggle matching up versus long, high-pointing receivers in the NFL … receivers can power through his feisty coverage … super-aggressive play style leads him to early or mauling contact, giving officials no choice but to throw the flag … can be controlled by wide receiver blocks … throws his body around in run support, but often hits instead of wraps … ball carriers can step out of his tackle attempts because of his shorter arms and limited finishing strength … worked primarily on the outside and lacks ideal experience working versus the slot … stayed healthy in college, but durability could become an issue because of his size.

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at TCU, Tomlinson was an outside cornerback in defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie’s scheme. After leading the Horned Frogs in passes defended the past three years, he earned the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back with a prolific senior season: 18 passes defended, 34.6 completion percentage when targeted. A big-time competitor beaming with confidence, Tomlinson is rabbit-quick with a decisive reactor to play sticky coverage and trigger routes. However, his lack of length drastically lowers his margin for error (in coverage and run support), and his aggressive mentality makes him a flag magnet (14 penalties in 2022). Overall, Tomlinson’s size will immediately remove him from several draft boards, but his competitive nature and twitchy athleticism give him a legitimate chance of winning over an NFL coaching staff and earning a meaningful role. He projects best inside as a nickel cornerback.

GRADE: 4th-5th Round

The LA Rams just STOLE TCU’s Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson in Round 6 😳pic.twitter.com/wKcyEB14De

— Jack Caporuscio (@Caporuscio_Jack) April 29, 2023

Cool to see Jalen Ramsey's message for Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson. He can't wait to see him making plays for the Rams https://t.co/ShJg5Z3Dd8

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) April 29, 2023

Fans and analysts loved the Rams’ selection of Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson in the sixth round https://t.co/zjH8twxqHJ

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) April 29, 2023

THT displays closing speed that allows him to break on the ball. Here he gets a big PBU https://t.co/nXLBgjPN4a

— Koll_0ne (@Koll_0ne) April 30, 2023

TCU’s Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson playing this sluggo to perfection. His ability to stop on a dime and flip his hips in transition is perfectly showcased here. Undersized but has the potential to be one of the best senior CBs in the 2023 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/st6T92ATwc

— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) August 23, 2022

READ: Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson using size as motivation, and to his advantage, as he joins Rams https://t.co/uvBqPBK4Sa

— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) April 30, 2023

From PFF, Biggest steals of the 2023 NFL Draft by round: https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-biggest-steals-2023-nfl-draft-by-round

ROUND 6: CB TRE’VIUS HODGES-TOMLINSON, LOS ANGELES RAMS

• Pick: 182
• PFF Big Board: 69

Hodges-Tomlinson was the 69th-ranked player on PFF’s final big board. The reason he was picked as late as he was had to be his size. His 5-foot-8 height and 29-inch arm length are both 1st-percentile marks for the position. But his tape shows the athleticism and playmaking ability of a player who should have been drafted earlier than the sixth round, even if you believe he’s just a nickel cornerback.

His cumulative coverage grade of 90.3 since 2020 was the best mark in his conference. The transition to slot cornerback will be a new one for him, as he played more than 2,200 snaps on the outside and just 66 snaps in the slot over the past three years. But his ability is worth taking a chance on.