Solomon Thomas was the No. 3 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, and in Part 3 of a 32-part series, a look at his projections as a rookie.
Much like the Cleveland Browns in their selection of Myles Garrett, the San Francisco 49ers addressed their pass rush in the 2017 NFL Draft in selecting Solomon Thomas at third overall.
Thomas, the former Stanford defensive lineman, enters camp as the 49ers starting LEO, the primary pass rushing defensive end in defensive coordinator Robert Saleh's 4-3 scheme. The 4-3 scheme is new in San Francisco, as they have run a 3-4 defense in the past. So the entire defensive line is being shaken up as Solomon Thomas begins his career.
To put it simply: Thomas has a ton of potential. The freak athlete posted a 6.95-second 3-cone drill, a 4.28-second 20-yard shuttle, a 4.69-second 40-yard dash, a 35-inch vertical, and a 126-inch broad jump. His combination of athleticism and production at Stanford: 12.5 sacks, 24.5 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles, all point to Thomas having the potential to thrive.
However, Thomas was never a true defensive end at Stanford. He played all over the Cardinal's defensive line, but mainly at defensive tackle, lining up mainly from the 2i-technique to the 4-technique. Thomas displayed fierce explosion and the ability to beat interior offensive linemen from the inside, but never developed a true arsenal of pass rush moves as he didn't play enough EDGE.
More from NFL Spin Zone
So, before even worrying about the scheme change and it's affect on Thomas' development, he's already going to face hardships in translating to a full-time defensive end role. I certainly believe Thomas is capable, don't get me wrong, but it's going to take time.
Regarding the defensive scheme change, the entire 49ers defensive line will take some time to mesh. In 2016, in their 3-4 front, the 49ers started DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead at defensive end. In a 4-3, however, both former first-round picks fit best at 3-technique defensive tackle, so one of these players is going to be pegged in a less natural position.
I figure Armstead will be playing the 5-technique defensive end opposite of Thomas, but no matter what the starting lineup is, the 49ers will face some serious chemistry issues as they begin to rebuild their defensive line.
Both Thomas' transition to LEO and the reformation of the 49ers defensive line, we likely will see chemistry issues during the 2017 season as a whole from San Francisco's front four. Considering both of these factors, I'm not counting on seeing much statistically from Thomas.
We may see Thomas flash his explosion and athleticism at times, much like how Vic Beasley flashed his athleticism during his mere four-sack rookie season in 2015. But, I wouldn't count anything more than five sacks out of the rookie.
The 49ers defensive line has potential to be very good in rushing the passer. It's just going to take time for the line to mesh as a whole, and their premier pass rusher in Thomas must learn the defensive end position.
