It can be difficult being a third-round NFL Draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers.
For whatever reasons, and aside from All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, Round 3 draftees by the Niners rarely go on to have much success, and kicker Jake Moody might be the one who's feeling the most heat at the present moment.
Not long ago, cornerback Ambry Thomas was in a similar boat, under plenty of pressure after San Francisco selected the former Michigan defensive back in Round 3 of the 2021 draft.
Thomas' up-and-down tenure with the 49ers included plenty of highs and lows, especially an awful regular-season debut halfway through his rookie season, followed by steady improvement and then that game-sealing interception against the Los Angeles Rams to help ensure the Niners made the playoffs.
Unfortunately for Thomas and the Niners, that play wasn't a harbinger of things to come. The defensive back struggled in subsequent years in the Bay Area, was relegated to backup duties and then missed all of 2024 with an injury before being waived that December.
After a two-day stint with the Indianapolis Colts, Thomas found himself on the Minnesota Vikings to begin the 2025 calendar year.
But, that's changed now.
Vikings let go of Ambry Thomas amid roster cuts
Thomas was likely a long shot to make Minnesota's opening 53-man roster anyway, seeing he was primarily brought it to beef up its offseason depth chart.
So, when ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday's league-wide roster cut-down day that Thomas was to be waived again, it wouldn't be seen as much of a shock:
More moves:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 26, 2025
Vikings are waiving cornerback Ambry Thomas.
Dolphins are waiving cornerback BJ Adams.
The 25-year-old corner will go through the waiver order, and if no team claims him during that period, he'd be free to sign with any squad willing to offer him a contract.
Considering Thomas hasn't played a regular-season game since 2023 and only did so in a reserve role, it's probably safe to assume he won't be a high-profile free-agent target. He'll likely need the right context and opportunity to land a new gig somewhere, perhaps with a squad that's suffering serious injuries at cornerback.
San Francisco assuredly won't be on that list of teams, though, as its own cornerback room boasts enough depth, and its experiment with Thomas already ran its course.