2019 was supposed to be a turning-point year for San Francisco 49ers defensive end Solomon Thomas, the team’s top pick from the 2017 NFL Draft, who was selected No. 3 overall.
Thomas never came close to living up to his draft stock his rookie season, perhaps due to him being played out of position for much of the year. In 2018, Thomas had to overcome the tragedy of his sister’s early passing. But in 2019, the thought was Thomas would finally break through, solidifying himself a role on an already-stacked defensive line.
By year’s end, however, Thomas was relegated to a backup, albeit a good piece to have amid a deep crop of former first-round draft picks.