KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has heard all the recent talk about second-round draft pick R Mason Thomas not fitting the typical “mold” for his pass rushers.Spagnuolo, however, says he isn’t buying that narrative.“What is that mold?” Spagnuolo said with a laugh after his team’s organized team activities practice Wednesday.Yes, this narrative is stereotyping a bit. Spagnuolo has usually gravitated toward bigger edge rushers with long arms who can hold up comfortably in the run game. That doesn’t exactly fit Thomas, whose specialty at 6-foot-2, 249 pounds is as a speed rusher.Spagnuolo still made it clear Wednesday that he doesn’t want to be seen as dismissive of smaller defensive linemen.“I’d like to think I just like good football players,” Spagnuolo said. “They don’t all come in one molded size.”So what does he like about Thomas, whom the Chiefs selected with the 40th overall pick in the second round?Spagnuolo said he agreed with the team’s scouts and general manager Brett Veach on Thomas’ top attribute: how quickly he explodes off the ball.A few others have seen the same trait during recent OTAs workouts.Linebacker Drue Tranquill, for instance, said he immediately noticed Thomas had an ability to “dip and lean” while getting around the edge. He also said during a recent meeting, there was talk of wanting to see Thomas go up against defensive end George Karlaftis in future drills, just to determine who was the team’s quickest defender into the backfield.Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen also sees potential from Thomas. Cullen coached pass-rush specialist Cliff Avril as a rookie in Detroit and oversaw edge rusher Frank Clark with the Chiefs in 2022.Thomas, he says, compares favorably to those players while saying all three “can bend and get in like Gumby-like positions and still be running full speed.”“He has that ability,” Cullen said of Thomas.There is still plenty to work through. Spagnuolo acknowledged Wednesday that Thomas has “got the learning curve right now” as he looks to pick up the Chiefs’ complicated playbook.One positive as Thomas navigates that? The Chiefs believe in his overall character, while getting early insight on that from new running backs coach DeMarco Murray.Thomas spent four years at Oklahoma while Murray was an assistant there. And Spagnuolo said Murray’s understanding of Thomas’ personality helped the Chiefs feel comfortable with the player they were getting in April’s draft.So what did Murray share with the Chiefs about Thomas? More than anything, Murray said he saw numerous examples of Thomas being a team-first guy.“Obviously, the skill set speaks for itself in that standpoint,” Murray said Wednesday. “But just a great character guy, and obviously for me, understanding once I got here, character is everything, from top to bottom. And knew he would fit right into the locker room.”Thomas’ addition could help address an obvious weakness. The Chiefs were miserable on third downs last season, especially in close and late-game situations.“The opportunities that we had as a group to finish the quarterback were there, and didn’t get it done,” Cullen said. “So we’ve got to do a better job doing that, and we will.”Thomas could be part of the solution, projecting as a third-down specialist who earned the nickname “The Closer” during his Oklahoma days thanks to a tendency to play up in the biggest moments.Spagnuolo certainly wouldn’t be opposed if that type of reputation follows Thomas to the NFL.“He’s got a little bit of juice to him,” Spagnuolo said, “which I think any defense wants and needs that.”Jun 4, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms