49ers close door on 2017 first-round draft pick, Solomon Thomas

The 49ers’ first NFL Draft pick under John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan, defensive end Solomon Thomas, is off to join the Raiders.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan probably would like to have a do-over with their two first-round selections from their inaugural NFL Draft class back in 2017.

You know, the year in which the Niners brought home former Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas at No. 3 overall and then traded up to grab linebacker Reuben Foster at No. 31 overall?

Foster’s career in San Francisco fizzled out in less than two years, and Thomas never materialized into the pass-rushing threat the 49ers — and in fairness, most of the league for that matter — envisioned him to be.

And with NFL free agency officially underway with the start of the 2021 league new year, Thomas is off to join the Las Vegas Raiders on a one-year deal, first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero:

The whiff on Thomas in the draft has been criticized by Niners fans and pundits alike. Yet it’s fair to point out many a draft expert touted Thomas as one of the safest picks in that year’s class.

Still, it doesn’t hurt to recognize some of the other players available to San Francisco the team ultimately passed on, namely two quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans.

As Thomas struggled to find his footing with the 49ers, they were ultimately pressed into grabbing other pass-rushing defensive linemen, namely EDGE Nick Bosa in the 2019 NFL Draft, and that move worked out well even if it ultimately meant Thomas would be relegated solely to a rotational role amid what was then a stacked Niners defensive front.

With Thomas’ departure for Las Vegas, his complicated chapter with San Francisco comes to a close.

Solomon Thomas leaves 49ers with a hard legacy

Thomas won’t be able to shake the mantra of being a top-five draft bust. Even if he resurrects his career with the Raiders, or even elsewhere in 2022, the lackluster years between 2017 and 2020 will hurt.

But it shouldn’t be to any fault of his own.

For starters, all that draft analysis suggested Thomas would be a stud at the NFL level. It’s somewhat hard to blame Lynch and Shanahan for going after a player many thought would be a superstar.

On top of that, Thomas was played out of position his rookie year, featured mostly as an edge rusher instead of being on the inside, his more natural fit. In 2018, Thomas suffered the tragic passing of his sister, Ella, which rocked him to his core. Understandably, Thomas’ so-so efforts that year weren’t up to par. It’s impossible to blame him for that.

Then in 2020, when Thomas had a chance to shine in the wake of the 49ers trading away defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and before inserting then-rookie defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw into an every-down role, Thomas suffered a torn ACL in Week 2.

With those four years now under his belt, he leaves the Niners with 95 tackles and six sacks over four seasons.

Thomas, the man, is far better a story. His work with suicide prevention throughout the league has been exemplary, and he’s a voice for persons dealing both with mental diseases and/or coping with the loss of loved ones.

If for no other reason, Thomas should be appreciated for that.

Still, San Francisco’s whiff on Thomas didn’t help the franchise at all, aside from the fact one of the picks the team acquired in that trade-down with the Chicago Bears to No. 3 overall eventually led to All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner.

Yet that pick was there regardless of Thomas’ selection. And if anything, it’s too bad Thomas never panned out the way Lynch and Shanahan envisioned.

Or most of the league for that matter.