At 32 years old, Browns left tackle Joe Thomas remains one of the NFL's best players
Thomas on Monday night was voted by his peers as the 25th-best player in the NFL Network's "Top 100 Players of 2017" rankings.
"He's a Hall of Fame left tackle," Packers defensive end Ricky Jean-Francois said. "That kick he has, that kick back can cover 5 yards probably in two to three kicks. I tried to rush him a few times just to get him off the edge and he just won't break."
Thomas, who remains the longest-tenured active player on the youth-laden Browns, has never missed a snap (9,934 and counting) or a game (160 and counting) since being selected third overall in the 2007 NFL Draft.
"So the thing about Joe Thomas is that he's played over 10,000 snaps and never missed a snap.," Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey said. "Every time the Browns' offense is on the field, he's on the field, too. That's crazy."
"He's a war daddy," added Bengals defensive lineman DeShawn Williams. "He's never missed a game since he's been in the league."
Thomas made history last season by earning his 10th-straight Pro Bowl invitation, the most of any Browns player. He was previously tied with franchise legends Jim Brown (nine) and Lou Groza (nine).
Thomas, widely viewed as one of the game's all-time great technicians, is the only lineman in NFL history to be selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first 10 seasons
"If his technique was on a grade sheet it'd probably be a 99.1," Jaguars tackle Branden Albert said.
Thomas, who enters his 11th season this fall, will anchor a Browns offensive line that returns Joel Bitonio and big-time free agency acquisitions in former Bengals guard Kevin Zeitler and Packers center JC Tretter.
