The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed former Penn State defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas to a three-year deal as an undrafted free agent, per his agent's Monday announcement.
During his six seasons at Penn State, J-Thomas played in 58 games. He started 26 times and made his mark with 94 tackles. His impact included 13.5 tackles behind the line and 2.5 sacks. In his final two years, he started 24 games.
"You want a playmaker, and you want somebody who can cover up mistakes. I felt like there were a lot of moments during the season where you guys may not have seen it, but I definitely covered up some mistakes that other teammates made," said J-Thomas to The Daily Collegian.
Media voters picked him for All-Big Ten honorable mention in both 2023 and 2024. His standout 2024 season saw him rack up 35 tackles, with four stops behind the line.
At Penn State's March Pro Day, J-Thomas showed off his skills to NFL scouts. "One of them is my athletic ability, and I think I showed that today. I played primarily run-stop defense while I was here at Penn State. Being able to show my athletic ability, in terms of getting in and out of cuts, bending that corner, is super important for me," said J-Thomas to 247Sports.
He joins eight Penn State teammates in the NFL this year. Five went through the draft: Abdul Carter to the Giants at third overall, Tyler Warren to the Colts at 14th, KJ Winston to the Titans in round three, while Jaylen Reed and Kobe King went in the sixth to the Texans and Vikings.
In 2023, J-Thomas won the Ridge Riley Award, which goes to seniors who stand out in leadership and sportsmanship. His off-field work put him on watch lists for both the Wuerffel Award and Allstate Good Works Team.
