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49ers’ 2018 ‘Who Is?’ series: Defensive end Solomon Thomas

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 10: Solomon Thomas #94 of the San Francisco 49ers stands on the field before their game against the Carolina Panthers at Levi's Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 10: Solomon Thomas #94 of the San Francisco 49ers stands on the field before their game against the Carolina Panthers at Levi's Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – AUGUST 27: Rashod Hill #69 of the Minnesota Vikings blocks Solomon Thomas #94 of the San Francisco 49ers in the preseason game on August 27, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the 49ers 32-31. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – AUGUST 27: Rashod Hill #69 of the Minnesota Vikings blocks Solomon Thomas #94 of the San Francisco 49ers in the preseason game on August 27, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the 49ers 32-31. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

Why He Regresses

At 6-foot-2 and 256 pounds, it’s easy to understand why some draft analysts and scouts viewed Solomon Thomas as a bit of a “tweener” — too small for regular work on the inside and not long enough to play outside.

Perhaps this was reflected in his pass-rush productivity rating of 6.4 a year ago, which ranked 36th among 39 qualifiers, per PFF.

Thomas did manage to disrupt the pocket on a few occasions last year, particularly on the inside. But the only issue was it wasn’t consistent enough. More than a few times, Thomas was taken out of plays by sole blockers and didn’t flash enough pass-rushing moves to negate the engagement. And while Thomas’ run-stopping abilities were solid, the Niners didn’t use a top-three draft pick to grab someone to merely contain opponents’ ground games.

What would be the disappointment here is if Thomas emerges as merely an OK player and nothing close to elite.

Any failure to improve on the aforementioned issues could wind up being pretty detrimental to his chances to make a serious impact this season and beyond.