San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch made defensive lineman Solomon Thomas the first draft pick of their regime. As the No. 3 overall pick in 2017, he has failed to reach the expectations in the eyes of the fanbase.
Thomas has just four sacks in his first two NFL seasons. He has dealt with a lot since being drafted. Thomas has had to deal with the lofty expectations during his rookie campaign and then the death of his sister after that year.
As for his play on the football field, Thomas is trying to get out of his own head. He's focused on having fun and his love for the game.
"I'm a natural overthinker," Thomas told reporters on Tuesday. "I've been my whole life. I'm a perfectionist. I want to be perfect in everything I do, and if I'm not, I overthink, and I get in my head. That's probably my biggest flaw, and one of my biggest weaknesses.
"That's what I worked on a lot. Just going. Just letting loose and just having fun. At the end of the day, no matter what I do, just go hard, put everything I can into it."
As for the loss of his sister, Thomas admits that 2018 was a challenging year for him. He had to deal with anger, depression, guilt, and grief.
"It was hard for me to get healthy, and it took me a while," he continued.
Thomas feels better, both physically and mentally, now. He has found balance, and is having fun again practicing with his teammates and going to team meetings.
The 49ers brought in Kris Kocurek to coach the defensive line. Thomas feels a lot more comfortable in the new scheme. He loves the system and feels it brings out his strengths as a defender.
"It's perfect," Thomas said of the new scheme. "Getting off, getting in the backfield, going, not thinking; just getting off and using my explosion. That is how I play."
Thomas was also asked about the trade rumors that circulated during Day 1 of the draft. He explained that he and general manager John Lynch had a conversation. Thomas was told the 49ers had no intention of trading him and are excited about his future with the team.
"[Lynch] has been amazing to my family and I," Thomas added. "So has the York family and everyone in this organization. Nothing but love for them and how they do business and how they run this organization."
The video below is courtesy of Grant Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.