The San Francisco 49ers could have gone in several other directions in 2017 with the first selection of the John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan era. They could have selected a franchise quarterback in a draft that included both Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. Last weekend, Lynch spoke of the decision to pass on Mahomes, who he would face three years later in the Super Bowl.
"That will probably haunt me for a while because I remember going to his Pro Day," Lynch said. "We were in a different place as an organization, and we had a different plan for quarterback because we really weren't -- I remember going to his pro day doing my job but really as kind of a smokescreen because were going elsewhere then calling my head coach, Kyle (Shanahan), and saying, 'We might want to rethink this because he put on a show.'"
#49ers GM John Lynch's full comments on being haunted by passing on #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes after attending his Pro Day as a smokescreen. pic.twitter.com/wHNKgmUxXD
— 49ers Webzone (@49erswebzone) February 7, 2021
Instead, the 49ers were enamored with and selected another player — Solomon Thomas. The defensive lineman has been serviceable. However, he hasn't produced the numbers or been the force that one might expect from a No. 3 overall pick. Thomas has recorded just six sacks since being drafted. Fans were hoping to see more from Thomas in 2020, but his season was cut short by an ACL injury.
Pro Football Focus has identified the defender as the 49ers' biggest draft mistake in the past five years.
"The 49ers have not shied away from building through their defensive line," wrote Michael Renner. "They've picked one in the first round four of the last five years. Only Thomas, though, has proven unworthy of his draft slot. He's yet to earn higher than a 62.5 overall grade in a single season. He was always a tweener playing inside at Stanford at 280 and never had a position in the NFL."
Thomas is scheduled to become a free agent and recently provided an update on his rehab via a Bleacher Report AMA.
"Rehab's been great," said Thomas. "I'm tackling it real hard. There's been some ups and downs, but I'm making progress. It's been a lot of great work. I'm in a great place."
As for his future, the 25-year-old defender can envision staying with the 49ers, depending on the circumstances.
"If the deal is right, I would love to (stay)," commented Thomas. "I love what they stand for."