Stock Up: DL Solomon Thomas
Of all the players on the San Francisco 49ers’ defense, defensive lineman Solomon Thomas has seen his stock rise the highest over the first two days of training camp. Although Thomas spent much of his time playing with the Niners’ second-string defensive line, he was disruptive in both the passing game and the running game, and looked the part of an early-round draft pick.
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco’s coaching staff and many of the 49ers’ beat writers took notice, as Thomas was a constant topic of conversation during press conferences this weekend. Over a full year removed from his sister’s suicide, which understandably affected Thomas’ play in 2018, the former No. 3 overall draft pick could be on the verge of a breakout season.
Stock Up: 49ers’ Starting Linebackers
After a respectable rookie year, the professional game is slowing down for starting MIKE linebacker Fred Warner as he enters his second season as the leader of the team’s linebacker corps. Warner patrolled the middle of the field with purpose during practice, and forced a fumble by free-agent running back Tevin Coleman.
On Sunday, linebacker Kwon Alexander took the field for the first time as the 49ers’ starting WILL linebacker. Alexander wasn’t perfect during practice, but Matt Barrows of The Athletic stated it wasn’t evident the Niners’ free-agent acquisition was still recovering from the torn ACL he sustained in October 2018:
UPDATE: Alexander took part in the initial 11-on-11 drills today. Hard to tell he was coming off an ACL.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) July 28, 2019
When questioned by the media regarding his return to the field, Alexander’s response was particularly positive:
Kwon Alexander: “I feel legendary.” pic.twitter.com/TFa0aCFFGy
— KNBR (@KNBR) July 28, 2019