Panthers 4th-rounder Ian Thomas' upside will surprise, but his backstory will amaze

Who?

You know, Ian Thomas. The Baltimore kid. The Indiana tight end, now a Carolina Panthers fourth-round draft pick.

Wait, who?

Ian Thomas, you know. New tight end No. 2. Probably a starter this fall, a real athlete. Not a ton of production while at Indiana; just 375 yards in 2017, five touchdowns. Enormous potential.

Let me tell you a little more. You'll want to know this name.

As a young kid, Thomas didn't think he'd get to this day, didn't think he'd get this phone call. Didn't think he'd be celebrating with almost all of his loved ones the biggest opportunity of his life.

Almost all of his loved ones.

On Thomas' eighth birthday, his mother, Martha, died of kidney failure. The following year, his father, Earl, died of a heart attack.

Thomas and his eight brothers and sisters were left alone in the world.

But his oldest brother, Clif Farmer, stepped in.

At just 19 years old, Farmer gained legal custody of Thomas. He and Thomas' oldest sister, Dishae, worked to support Thomas and two other siblings.

At Digital Harbor High School, Thomas was not recruited to play at the next level.

He ended up at Nassau Community College as a basketball prospect, ultimately playing football, and then transferred to Indiana where he saw few touches, but flashed his athletic potential when he did.

"I’ve always said that Ian was a rose that grew out of the concrete of Baltimore," Thomas' former high school football coach, William Brandon, told The Baltimore Sun this spring.

In fact, when he was drafted, NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah compared Thomas' projected ability to that of five-time All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates.

That will perk some ears up in Carolina, where Gates' former head coach, Norv Turner, is the new offensive coordinator.

"I think it's very possible," Thomas said of the comparison. "Like everyone is saying, I have great potential and a lot of space to work with to get better. I'll take the challenge. And hopefully I'll fill those shoes and maybe be greater."

Head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Marty Hurney see similar body types (Thomas is 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds; so is Gates), ability to catch in traffic and vertical speed. They both said Saturday afternoon that they feel Thomas, while a bit of an initial project, would probably contribute immediately.

"We think he's a very good player," said Hurney. "He's really got the complete skill set of a complete tight end."

Carolina needs a No. 2 tight end after the departure of Ed Dickson in free agency. Veteran pass-catching tight end Greg Olsen signed a two-year contract extension Thursday morning, and a complement to him with room to grow into his heir was a necessary addition for the Panthers in this year's draft.

Thomas' upside is that player. He's looking forward to learning from Olsen.

"He is a great guy, he's a great tight end," said Thomas. "He's been in the league for a while, a great role model to look up to, a great veteran to lead."

Rivera and Hurney walked into Bank of America Stadium on Saturday morning and knew that Thomas was their day-opening pick at No. 101. They refused to trade it, though they did get offers.

They also know what the moment meant to Thomas.

"Anybody that goes through what he (went) through and gets to where he is, and at the last minute, here's your opportunity, he's taking advantage of it," Rivera said.

All of Thomas' siblings were with him Saturday to watch him get drafted.

There were some tears, he said, but mostly joy.

Through the stressful draft process, Farmer especially kept reminding him to stay calm, stay cool.

Thomas is grateful for that, and for the very existence of the brother who helped raise him when terrible tragedy struck.

"I just always thank him any chance I get for helping us growing up, and helping me become the man I am today," he said. "He knows how much love I have for him, and how much love he has for all of us. It's a blessing to have him as an older brother and a role model."

This story was originally published April 28, 2018 at 4:36 PM with the headline "Panthers 4th-rounder Ian Thomas' upside will surprise, but his backstory will amaze."