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49ers 2019 training camp: 10 things to watch during opening weekend

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - JULY 30: Ronald Johnson #88 and Chris Culliver #29 of the San Francisco 49ers go up against each other in a 7 on 7 drill during practice at the San Francisco 49ers training facility on July 30, 2011 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - JULY 30: Ronald Johnson #88 and Chris Culliver #29 of the San Francisco 49ers go up against each other in a 7 on 7 drill during practice at the San Francisco 49ers training facility on July 30, 2011 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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KANSAS CITY, MO – AUGUST 11: Quarterback Tyler Bray #9 of the Kansas City Chiefs passes as defensive end Solomon Thomas #94 of the San Francisco 49ers defends during the preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium on August 11, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO – AUGUST 11: Quarterback Tyler Bray #9 of the Kansas City Chiefs passes as defensive end Solomon Thomas #94 of the San Francisco 49ers defends during the preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium on August 11, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Solomon Thomas’ Resurgence

Sure, there’s a strong likelihood defensive end Solomon Thomas will never live up to the level for which the 49ers hoped, after they selected him No. 3 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft.

The past two years have been mostly a disappointment. Yet Thomas is surely a player everyone should be pulling hard for this upcoming season.

Thomas’ sister, Ella, tragically took her own life in January of 2018, putting Thomas and his entire family into a tailspin, which the former Stanford standout described as a “dark hole.”

Unless you’ve lost someone that close, it’s impossible to come close to gauging what Thomas went through last season. Thanks to therapy and outside help, along with Thomas’ own efforts to raise awareness about mental health, the current regime’s top draft investment is ready to live up to his once-lofty billing.

“I feel athletic and explosive again. I’m ready to be violent and wreak havoc,” Thomas told former 49ers.com reporter Joe Fan not long ago. “Now I’ve got to perfect my technique. That’s going to make me a game-changing player.”

If Thomas comes charging out of the gate in camp, it will be oh-so easy to rally around him.