Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Looking back on the 2017 NFL Draft trade for Solomon Thomas

By Akshaj Dwivedula

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: (L-R) Solomon Thomas of Stanford poses with Commissioner of the National Football League Roger Goodell after being picked #3 overall by the San Francisco 49ers (from Bears) during the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: (L-R) Solomon Thomas of Stanford poses with Commissioner of the National Football League Roger Goodell after being picked #3 overall by the San Francisco 49ers (from Bears) during the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 7
Next
49ers
SANTA CLARA, CA – SEPTEMBER 16: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers in action against the Detroit Lions at Levi’s Stadium on September 16, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

The 67th Overall Pick … Part 2 (2017)

That’s right, there are two slides devoted to this pick, because although the trade of the 67th pick led to Colbert, it also gave the 49ers a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

This pick was packaged in a trade for wide receiver Dante Pettis, who I wrote could be a starter next year, citing how “from shifty releases to contested grabs, Pettis has established himself as a player to watch in the nearby future.” Pettis has struggled to make an impact this year, dealing with various injuries, but a direct link to the trade.

However, this slide is dedicated to another player who was indirectly impacted by this trade, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Of course, the 49ers would have traded a second-round pick for Garoppolo without hesitation. But it must have helped to have another second-round pick in their back pocket, right? I assume the the conversation went much quicker knowing they would still be picking in the second round.

This link is very, very, very minuscule, but it offers us a chance to see the true impact of a trade. Although people will directly look at the players gotten out of the trade, that’s not the only thing that trades change. For example, the drafting of Colbert prompted the 49ers to move Jimmie Ward back to corner, which was a nightmare for all involved.

So yeah, for all intents and purposes, we’ll say that Garoppolo doesn’t fall within this trade, but a good lesson for all to learn.