Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
John Lynch, DeMeco Ryans ‘encouraged’ by 49ers rookie Ambry Thomas’ play
Dec 16, 2021 at 6:21 PM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Many see Ambry Thomas as a raw rookie cornerback. However, the San Francisco 49ers feel he has enough physical traits to be an NFL success story.
Thomas didn't play college football in 2020, opting out of the season due to COVID-19 concerns. San Francisco selected the former Michigan cornerback in the third round of this year's draft.
With Emmanuel Moseley and Dontae Johnson ruled out for Week 14, Thomas made his first NFL start, playing 93 percent of the defensive snaps. He had his ups and downs. But, of course, many tend to point towards the downs during quick evaluations.
For the 49ers, it was an encouraging outing for the rookie cornerback, who had only played 20 defensive snaps before Sunday's 62.
"I was really encouraged," general manager John Lynch said Thursday on KNBR's Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks show. "People see the one touchdown that was reversed, and then they see the slant-and-go, and they say he had a bad game. You know, I was actually encouraged, just watching the nuance of his game, kind of how he handled himself, how he approached [the game] after a tough play like that. I thought he tackled well throughout the game. He was in the right place."
Lynch is correct about the tackling, per Pro Football Focus. While Thomas's overall defensive grade hasn't been impressive this season, his tackling grade has been. In fact, he and teammate Deommodore Lenoir own the two highest tackling grades (Lenoir, 83.9; Thomas, 82.4) among rookie cornerbacks from the analytics site.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers' John Lynch, Chris Foerster on hand to scout Washington Huskies prospects
San Francisco 49ers GM John Lynch and Offensive Line coach Chris Foerster were in Seattle on Saturday scouting prospects of the Washington Huskies. While Washington has multiple talented draft prospects, the fact that Foerster was accompanying Lynch is notable considering Washington has two offensive linemen who are getting a lot of attention—Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten.
Per source, John Lynch, Chris Foerster looked at several Washington draft prospects today. Huskies are loaded with draft talent, including …WR: Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillanOL: Troy Fautanu, Roger RosengartenEDGE:
49ers sign WR Trent Taylor, reuniting with former draft pick
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
Draft Watch: Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley visiting 49ers on Wednesday
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Rapoport: 49ers send clear message to teams inquiring about Brandon Aiyuk
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
