There are plenty of big names on the list, but Thomas being a high draft pick earns him a spot
NFL.com’s Adam Schein came up with a list of nine players around the NFL that are under the most pressure for the 2019 season. The list was headlined by new Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown, but there were plenty other notable names on the list as well. From Le’ Veon Bell to Kirk Cousins. Schein insists it’s time for the veterans to put up this year.
Schein snuck in a name at number nine that might be an afterthought to most fans around the league. He isn’t for fans of the San Francisco 49ers, in any case. Here’s what was said about Solomon Thomas:
The first pick John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan ever made — in the third overall slot of the 2017 NFL Draft— has been totally invisible. Thomas, who famously first bonded with Lynch when they took a class together at Stanford in the summer of 2014, seemed like a safe pick with plenty of upside. Two years into his NFL career, the defensive end has four sacks.
2019 is go time for the Niners as a team. I think they are going to surprise a lot of people and win a ton of games. On offense, Shanahan has Jimmy Garoppolo back under center and a cadre of new toys to play with (free-agent signee Tevin Coleman, as well as versatile draft picks Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd). On defense, Lynch seriously beefed up the front seven by adding Kwon Alexander, Dee Ford and No. 2 overall pick Nick Bosa. Imagine if Thomas lives up to the hype. Or even resembles a legit starting NFL player.
It’s is nothing new on this site. We’ve talked ad nauseam about how Thomas needs to put together a season that makes the 49ers forget about his first two. Thomas was reportedly on the trading block during the weekend of the NFL Draft.
The pressure is higher than it should be because of where Thomas was draft. That’s not his fault. He also acknowledged some personal issues that if you’ve never been through it, it’d be impossible to understand what Thomas is going through. The move inside seemed to help Thomas. We’ll see how he plays inside with a full offseason to practice and hone his skills as an inside pass-rusher.
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