5 players who did not live up to 49ers expectations in 2022
By Peter Panacy
49ers CB Ambry Thomas didn’t live up to expectations
It’s been quite a roller-coaster ride for two-year cornerback Ambry Thomas.
Thomas, as fans may recall, was downright awful early during his NFL beginnings after San Francisco grabbed him in Round 3 of the 2021 NFL Draft.
However, fans also recall how Thomas gradually improved as that season wore on, even putting himself into a position where he might be a starter in 2022.
The 49ers’ offseason pickup of cornerback Charvarius Ward changed that, of course, but at least Thomas entered his sophomore year as a candidate to be high up on the depth chart.
Instead, Thomas struggled in training camp and found himself vastly outperformed by his fellow 2021 draftee, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, who became Ward’s partner on the boundary once the prior starting corner, Emmanuel Moseley, suffered a season-ending ACL tear.
From the cornerback who snagged a game-winning overtime interception in Week 18 a little over a year ago to one who managed just 41 defensive snaps in 2022, Thomas fell way short of expectations.