The newest member of the San Francisco 49ers, Solomon Thomas, joined KNBR after being selected in the first round. On Thursday night, the former Stanford defensive lineman was selected with the third overall pick following a trade with the Chicago Bears to move down one spot.
"When I got that phone call, it was the best thing in my life," Thomas said. "Being able to hear Mr. Lynch's voice asking if I wanted to be a 49er was like a dream come true. I can't wait to be a part of this amazing team and organization and do the best I can for it."
Thomas went on to say that he didn't think the 49ers were showing much interest in him. He spoke with head coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina but was still surprised. "I'm just so happy it all worked out," Thomas said.
RELATED Round 1, Pick 3: 49ers select Stanford DE Solomon Thomas
Thomas saw his stock rise in 2016 when he had 61 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and was First-Team All PAC-12. That stock rose further following the Sun Bowl against North Carolina and his showing at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran a 4.69-second 40-yard dash.
Thomas went on to say that he feels that his game against North Carolina opened up a lot of NFL eyes. "I'm very thankful for that game," he said. "Thankful for getting that recognition and having teams watch my film to see how good I can be. I'm really excited to show that player, who I can be, and all that stuff."
Having played at Stanford and now being part of the 49ers, Thomas won't have to move far. "It's such a cool thing to be just down the road," he said. "I was just living back out at Stanford and now I just have to move up the street. I'm so happy to stay in the Bay Area. I love the Bay Area."
You can listen to the entire interview on KNBR.
