Back in 2017, the San Francisco 49ers were hoping their top pick from that year’s NFL Draft, former Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas, would become a cornerstone piece for the franchise’s defense.
After all, that’s what top-five selections in the draft are supposed to be. And even after the Niners traded down a spot with the Chicago Bears from No. 2 overall to take Thomas, the eventual results over the past three years have been anything but cornerstone-like.
Through three years, Thomas has registered a total of just six sacks, going from a regular starter to a reserve player in 2019.