Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: 5 day two NFL Draft prospects who can fill a need

By Jeremy Wohlfart

General manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
General manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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MIAMI GARDENS, FL – NOVEMBER 18: Chad Thomas #9 of the Miami Hurricanes looks on after winning a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Hard Rock Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FL – NOVEMBER 18: Chad Thomas #9 of the Miami Hurricanes looks on after winning a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Hard Rock Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Chad Thomas, Defensive End, Miami

Miami defensive end Chad Thomas is a change of pace from the previous three prospects. Unlike the others (except Bradley Bozeman), he comes from a big school, he wasn’t in the Senior Bowl but the East-West Shrine game instead, and he’s underperformed during his college career.

Physically, Thomas has the tools to be a great pass-rusher, he’s a tall 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds of muscle, but he’s never gotten it together. Walter Football has a third- to fourth-round grade on him, and had this to say about the Miami defender:

"Thomas totaled 30 tackles with 8.5 for a loss and 3.5 sacks in 2017. Sources tell me that Thomas is really talented physically, but he hasn’t put it all together on the field. There have been flashes of excellence and stretches of doing nothing while looking clueless. They say that Thomas lacks instincts as well. However because of his great skill set, grades are going to be all over the board on Thomas."

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Thomas requires coaching up, but he could intrigue teams with his raw potential. At worst he can be a third-down specialist for the 49ers, who desperately need talented pass-rushers.

Why This Makes Sense

The Niners have a lot of talented personnel already on the defensive line, so the need for a defensive lineman probably won’t see them take another one in the first round unless N.C. State standout Bradley Chubb somehow falls. Thomas can be coached up immediately to fill the current need for a pass-rusher, while having the long-term view to develop him to be another terror on the 49ers defensive front.