5 biggest takeaways from 49ers win with Trey Lance vs. Texans

Takeaway No. 2: Ambry Thomas has gotten better with each passing week

Early this season, it was fair to ask whether or not San Francisco was experiencing a bust with its third-round NFL Draft choice, cornerback Ambry Thomas, who found himself frequently inactive for the bulk of the first half of 2021 before only being inserted as an emergency starter in the wake of fellow corner Emmanuel Moseley suffering an ankle injury.

In Week 14 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Thomas was awful, frequently losing position and giving up yards to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase without being close in coverage. A week later against the Atlanta Falcons, Thomas emerged step for step with his receiving targets but still gave up catches after not attacking the catch point.

Read More: 49ers position grades from Week 17 win over Texans

In Week 16 against the Titans, Thomas still wasn’t perfect but managed to log two pass breakups, including one in the end zone.

Week 17 was Thomas’ best outing, albeit against a bad Houston offense, breaking up another pass and also picking up a tackle for a loss. He nearly had what could have been a pick-six interception, too.

Thomas’ maturation, as was displayed in Week 17, means opponents are likely to look elsewhere on the field for regular 49ers cornerbacks to target, meaning Thomas won’t be the sole guy on whom opposing quarterbacks pick.