49ers 2021 NFL Draft live tracker, reactions and updates
By Peter Panacy
811. . Defensive Back. Wolverines . Ambry Thomas. 102. player
Round 3, Pick No. 102 Overall: DB Ambry Thomas, Michigan
It was a little surprising San Francisco didn’t invest in its defense earlier in the draft, but that changed at the tail end of Round 3.
The first of two compensatory picks at the 49ers’ disposal, No. 102 overall, ended up being used on Michigan defensive back Ambry Thomas, who has some solid movement skills necessary for a boundary cornerback. And one would figure the Niners would deploy him there with corners Jason Verrett and K’Waun Williams poised to be free agents in 2022.
Thomas, 6-foot-0 and 183 pounds, opted out last year because of COVID-19 but showed some ballhawking traits the previous year with three interceptions and an additional three pass breakups to go along with 38 tackles.
On the upside, Thomas has speed to match with the faster receivers he’ll face at the NFL level. He’s feisty, too, and has some competitive dog in him.
Yet there’s going to be a notable risk considering he missed all of last year and is transitioning to more a of a zone-style system compared to the press-man scheme he primarily saw with the Wolverines.
Yet San Francisco is in a position where it can take a full year to develop Thomas as a potential starter in 2022 while players like Verrett manage the starting duties this season.