Utah State WR Deven Thompkins: Undersized and Underrated

With the 2022 NFL Draft quickly approaching, The33rdTeam sat down with Utah State wide receiver Deven Thompkins to talk about why he’s one of the most underrated pass catchers in the class.

Thompkins starts the conversation by breaking down how his track career aided him on the football field. He mentions how he only joined his high school’s track team because his friends convinced him to.

It paid off for Thompkins who recorded 102 receptions, 1,704 yards and 10 touchdowns during his senior season in the Mountain West Conference.

Getting to know Thompkins

Next, Thompkins discusses his decision to attend Utah State. He details how his varsity high school coach had a connection to Utah State’s receiver coach, which opened the door for him to receive his only Division I offer from the team.

Thompkins also provides insight into why he entered the transfer portal following the 2020 season but decided to stay with Utah State. Thompkins credits Utah State Head Coach Blake Anderson for convincing him to return.

This is followed by a discussion on one of Thompkins’ biggest strengths—versatility. Thompkins lined up all over the formation for Utah State and has the speed to be an effective punt and kick returner.

Thompkins adds that he never got a chance to return punts in college because an older player was ahead of him, but he knows it’s a skill he can bring to an NFL team.

However, Thompkins knows he’s not a finished product just yet. He mentions how he needs to make sure he can keep up with the speed of the NFL because he knows it will be different than college football.

Lastly, Thompkins mentions how he thinks he fits into today’s NFL. He discusses how, while his size might give him some disadvantages, his speed is exactly what NFL teams are looking for right now.