Solomon Thomas--Stanford

Originally posted by genus49:

I know these are just a few plays but this stuff translates well to the NFL. As he grows and matures and plays with the big boys he should only get better.

Awesome. We must grab to Solomon Thomas # 2 picks. Can't wait.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Great run stopper. Aldon was all about the pass rush. Aldon. Was an edge rusher and Thomas does most of his work from the interior on pass rushing downs

Sure but I'm sure you'd agree that you can't just say that Thomas isn't a good pass rusher in his own. He's got the athletic ability, the strength and has good hands and hips to get around guys if he was to play there more.

I thought Aldon's best days were ahead of him(prior to him hitting the bottle) and I think the same thing about Thomas. He may not be quite the level of pass rusher but I don't agree that he can't cause havoc from outside just like Aldon did so while Leo may not be an ideal fit it certainly wouldn't shock me to see him play there from time to time and have success.

I remember watching tape on Trubisky and other prospects and just seeing this guy ruin people's day. I looked into him and most people had him going 10-15. I couldn't see why he isn't the #1 DL, now look.


Although he's not my favorite pick at 2 he's a hell of a player. Wouldn't be mad one bit.

Originally posted by NCommand:
What skills sets does Young not have that Haley has?

While we don't have numbers from that far back I'd say Young wasn't faster or more athletic than Haley. Same cannot be said for Thomas vs Aldon.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
I've gone back and watched a few more games of this and you see examples of this every game, he just outworks and flat out mauls people, even at the college level he shouldn't be able to throw guys around that easily. His play just jumps right out at you. As long as he stays healthy I see him being an absolute stud of a player in the NFL, IDGAF where you play him, just play him and let him wreak havoc.

"I can rush anywhere. I can play anywhere. I play every down. I'm great stopping the run, great rushing the quarterback. I'm very versatile. I have toughness. I try to get after every lineman and put the fear of God in them and make a play. I'm just trying to get to the quarterback every play and be destructful and wreak havoc."

Everything about Thomas screams that he is the Real McCoy and is going to be a damn good player in the NFL.

http://www.espn.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/104163/solomon-thomas-perfected-his-football-craft-in-the-boxing-ring

Ask almost any Stanford player about the program's rigorous offseason physical training regimen, and the usual response is a cringe mixed with a deep breath.But ask defensive lineman Solomon Thomas about the work, and it's hard to detect more than a shrug.

"It was fun," Thomas said. "How can you not enjoy grinding with your teammates at 6 a.m.?"

Those early-morning human tug-of-wars, sprints, John Deere cart pulls, and muscle-searing slow-release pull-ups -- some of the hallmarks of the program that sports performance director Shannon Turley has used to build the foundation of Stanford's celebrated trench strength - -- that's Thomas' version of "fun."

Perhaps it's not surprising, then, to learn that the junior sought out additional work -- in the form of boxing -- to prepare for what has already been a disruptive 2016 season. Through three games, Thomas has recorded 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits and a touchdown off a fumble recovery at the end of Stanford's recent 22-13 win at UCLA.

Thomas traces some of his success back to a simple YouTube search, where he saw videos of NFL defensive linemen logging training time in the boxing ring.

"I wanted to make my hands more active, more violent and more quick," Thomas said. "I wanted to better understand my weight distribution and body language."

Through some online research, Thomas found Stan Martyniouk -- an accomplished boxer esteemed by legend Manny Pacquiao for his explosiveness. Pacquiao picked Martyniouk as his training partner to help him ready for his 2014 fight against Chris Algieri, and Thomas picked Martyniouk to be the trainer who would introduce him to the sport of boxing this past summer.

"I wasn't just going to go through the motions," Thomas said. "I was going to respect Stan and his time, and give him all I had. Because everything we were doing -- hips, hands, hand-eye coordination and hand coordination -- I knew it would all translate to the D-line. Everything made sense to me."

Martyniouk and Thomas began work at the Undisputed Boxing Gym in San Carlos, located in a nondescript strip mall about 20 minutes north of Stanford's campus. An autographed Frank Gore jersey is on display near the gym's ring. The Indianapolis Colts running back boxed there when he played for the San Francisco 49ers, while Oakland Raiders receiver Michael Crabtree and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson are still offseason regulars.

Thomas became the next star athlete to throw his name into that mix. His 6-foot-3, 273-pound frame was one of the biggest to ever step into the boxing gym, but it had a way of flying under the radar. At first, Martyniouk didn't know Thomas was one of the best defensive players in college football.

"All I knew was that Solomon played football," Martyniouk said. "But he was quiet and he didn't say much. He just came to work."

It didn't take long for Martyniouk and the Undisputed Boxing Gym to witness what Stanford coaches have seen since Thomas' early days on campus: a muscle-laden specimen who can reach 11 feet into the air on his vertical jumps -- even while weighing 273 pounds.

"I was amazed at how quick and explosive he was, for how big he was," Martinyouk said. "He's just super muscular, super strong and fit."

But even in peak physical condition for football, Thomas initially struggled. Martinyouk had him repeatedly slam a tire with a 12-pound hammer before stepping into the boxing ring for long sessions that demanded ferocious punching power and nimble footwork.

Solomon Thomas was confident that his work in the boxing ring would translate to his play on the defensive line"I was dying in our workouts," Thomas said.

Martyniouk then had the lineman emulate videos of heavyweights such as Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson so that he could settle into a boxing style that suited his big lineman's frame. The two sparred in training fashion, though Thomas never entered a full-fledged fight to avoid risking injury that would jeopardize his upcoming football season.

"Honestly, he'd probably do really well if we put him into the ring right now," Martyniouk said. "From day one, Solomon just pushed himself to the limit. He would not stop until I told him to stop. Some clients have to take breaks, but he doesn't take breaks. When I told him to do something, he did it. He's a machine."

Thomas shrugs off Martyniouk's compliments just as nonchalantly as he dismisses talk about the difficulty of Stanford's brutal offseason training regimen. Thomas doesn't avoid physical grinds; he seeks them out.

"I liked boxing so much this summer that I was already planning on coming back this winter," he said. "It's a new world to find myself in."

And although Thomas doubts he'll ever go the amateur fighting route after his football career is over, he can't completely rule it out, and hopes to take the entire Stanford football team to see one of Martyniouk's fights in the future.

"Maybe my competitive nature will make me try one fight when football is over," Thomas smiled.

That would be one scary fight for a potential opponent. Stanford defensive line coach Diron Reynolds says that "Solomon is the one kid you want to grow up and look like." That means that Thomas is not the guy you'd want to see on the opposite side of a boxing ring -- or the line of scrimmage, for that matter.

That was an awesome read, good find. This is the exact type of guy you want to build around. Someone who goes the extra mile to be better and doesn't shy away from hard work.

http://sfo.247sports.com/Bolt/Shaun-Draughn-posts-heartfelt-thank-you-message-to-49ers-fans-51915161

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper released his third mock draft of the year on Wednesday, and in it he moves away from the 49ers picking a quarterback, instead having them pick a player who is becoming a popular selection for the 49ers in mock drafts -- Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas.

Kiper says the 49ers will benefit from Thomas' pass rushing ability right off the bat.

"After the 49ers signed veterans Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley in free agency, I'm moving away from North Carolina signal-caller Mitch Trubisky here," wrote Kiper. "The urgency for the 49ers to pick a QB isn't as high. They could target a developmental prospect in the second or third round (Patrick Mahomes, maybe?) and let him have a redshirt year in 2017. The reality is that San Francisco has many needs on both sides of the ball. Thomas (6-3, 273) is a different kind of player than the D-linemen the 49ers have taken in the first round the past two years (DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead); he'll get after the quarterback from Day 1."

There's been some question about how well Thomas would fit with the 49ers, but unlike this year's quarterback prospects, there seems to be little question over whether or not he's worthy of the No. 2 pick.

Thomas has seen his already-high stock rise in recent weeks and is now often projected to be off the board in the top five after previously being projected by some to go a few picks later. CBS Sports now ranks Thomas as the No. 2 prospect in the draft behind Texas A&M linebacker Myles Garrett and compares Thomas to Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

Garrett, Thomas and Adams could be the first three picks off the board. They all went to high school within 40 miles of one another.

Dat dere Texas football life.

Originally posted by genus49:

Originally posted by NCommand:

What skills sets does Young not have that Haley has?

While we don't have numbers from that far back I'd say Young wasn't faster or more athletic than Haley. Same cannot be said for Thomas vs Aldon.

I don't want heard about Aldon again and anymore because he is troubles and suspended then forget about Aldon period. Please move on. I don't want discuss about Aldon vs Thomas period.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
http://sfo.247sports.com/Bolt/Shaun-Draughn-posts-heartfelt-thank-you-message-to-49ers-fans-51915161

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper released his third mock draft of the year on Wednesday, and in it he moves away from the 49ers picking a quarterback, instead having them pick a player who is becoming a popular selection for the 49ers in mock drafts -- Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas.

Kiper says the 49ers will benefit from Thomas' pass rushing ability right off the bat.

"After the 49ers signed veterans Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley in free agency, I'm moving away from North Carolina signal-caller Mitch Trubisky here," wrote Kiper. "The urgency for the 49ers to pick a QB isn't as high. They could target a developmental prospect in the second or third round (Patrick Mahomes, maybe?) and let him have a redshirt year in 2017. The reality is that San Francisco has many needs on both sides of the ball. Thomas (6-3, 273) is a different kind of player than the D-linemen the 49ers have taken in the first round the past two years (DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead); he'll get after the quarterback from Day 1."

There's been some question about how well Thomas would fit with the 49ers, but unlike this year's quarterback prospects, there seems to be little question over whether or not he's worthy of the No. 2 pick.

Thomas has seen his already-high stock rise in recent weeks and is now often projected to be off the board in the top five after previously being projected by some to go a few picks later. CBS Sports now ranks Thomas as the No. 2 prospect in the draft behind Texas A&M linebacker Myles Garrett and compares Thomas to Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

It seems all the guys Thomas keeps getting compared to are beasts. I've seen Justin Smith from NFL.com, Michael Bennett from PFF and now Aaron Donald by Kiper.

PFF did show Aaron Donald as the most effective pass rusher in the league last year.

Originally posted by genus49:

Sure but I'm sure you'd agree that you can't just say that Thomas isn't a good pass rusher in his own. He's got the athletic ability, the strength and has good hands and hips to get around guys if he was to play there more.

I thought Aldon's best days were ahead of him(prior to him hitting the bottle) and I think the same thing about Thomas. He may not be quite the level of pass rusher but I don't agree that he can't cause havoc from outside just like Aldon did so while Leo may not be an ideal fit it certainly wouldn't shock me to see him play there from time to time and have success.

Thomas is a great pass rusher, the difference being that he is an interior pass rusher. He is not an edge rusher. He's more Aaron Donald than Von Miller

Originally posted by jonnydel:
A fairer comparison would be Patrick Willis, Von Miller(or Aldon in his prime) or Ed Reed.

Von Miller would be rated as the higher draft pick - no question. Why? Because a dominant, disruptive pass rusher affects the game more than a dominant LB or S. It's not saying that those other players aren't highly valued, but look at league values. Pass rushers get paid a LOT more money than LB's and a whole heck of a lot more than S. That's represents how much the league values pass rushers over the other positions. So, if it comes down to each of a guy at those 3 positions are equal, you pick the position that will affect the game more.

Can Thomas play Right Defensive End? Or will He be a left defensive end only?

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by genus49:

Sure but I'm sure you'd agree that you can't just say that Thomas isn't a good pass rusher in his own. He's got the athletic ability, the strength and has good hands and hips to get around guys if he was to play there more.

I thought Aldon's best days were ahead of him(prior to him hitting the bottle) and I think the same thing about Thomas. He may not be quite the level of pass rusher but I don't agree that he can't cause havoc from outside just like Aldon did so while Leo may not be an ideal fit it certainly wouldn't shock me to see him play there from time to time and have success.

Thomas is a great pass rusher, the difference being that he is an interior pass rusher. He is not an edge rusher. He's more Aaron Donald than Von Miller

He also compares to Bennett who excels at rushing the passer from the edge. Not enough of a sample size IMO to say that he isn't an edge rusher.

In a traditional 4-3 he's a good fit at LDE in base. I'm sure we would scheme him in the most appropriate spot if we decide to draft him.

I just don't want to draft a guy we have a starter in place for. Hes probably better than armstead, but to keep both imo would be stupid. So if we draft him trade armstead

It's like we're the 2000's Lions, but instead of drafting WRs every year, we take DLinemen. Smh

Originally posted by fan49:
I just don't want to draft a guy we have a starter in place for. Hes probably better than armstead, but to keep both imo would be stupid. So if we draft him trade armstead

You realize that there will be a heavy DL rotation. You could utilize both Thomas and Armstead, down the road look to move Armstead.