The John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan draft era has officially begun and it began with a bang. In a pretty spectacular trade, the San Francisco 49ers traded back one spot with the Chicago Bears to number three in exchange for the 67th pick, 111th pick, and third round pick in 2018. That was incredible.
And then they picked Solomon Thomas, less spectacular but still a good pick. For the third year in a row, the 49ers use their first pick on a Pac-12 defensive lineman. Thomas was last year’s Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year with 62 tackles, 15 of those for a loss and eight sacks.
“I kept my mind open and came in blind here and tried to come in here and be happy for any team that drafted me, but the best team for me drafted me and the best team I wanted drafted me,” said Thomas. “So, I’m so excited.”
His speed and strength give him a lot of flexibility on the defensive line, where he will join former Conference-mates Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner in Robert Saleh’s defense. And that is a defense he’s very familiar with, as Thomas is a big Michael Bennett fan and sees similarities in their games.
“You know, we’re both very versatile,” said Thomas. “We’re quick. You know, I have to earn my stripes before I even get compared to him. I have to play my first downs, and earn my stripes from my teammates and earn their respect. So, that’s what I’m just trying to do right now.”
When Lynch went back to Stanford to finish his degree, he took Management Science and Engineering with Thomas, which was a highlight for the new 49er. The two kept in touch somewhat, and Lynch imparted some good advice to his future number one pick.
“During the pre-draft process before we played North Carolina, he told me, ‘Don’t worry about the external stuff going on. Worry about yourself and your team. The best thing you can do is go have the best bowl game possible and just go show them you’re unstoppable and unblockable,’” said Thomas. “I took that advice seriously and I went to go do it.”
Yeah he did. Thomas sealed Stanford’s victory in the Sun Bowl with a sack on tonight’s number two pick Mitchell Trubisky. Who knew these two would continue to be so intertwined. They’ll meet week 13 of the 2017 season for those keeping score at home.
Lot of draft left to go and lots of talent left on the board. It’s going to be a very interesting couple of days. In the interim, welcome to the Niners Solomon Thomas! Now let’s get to work.
Learn 5 Fun Facts about Solomon Thomas here
More of my NFL 2017 Draft coverage here
Don’t forget to subscribe to my weekly podcast and YouTube channel. Also, make sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram @49ersfangirl. Go Niners!
