Ambry Thomas, CB - Michigan, 3rd Round Pick | Page 11

May 4, 2021 at 7:50 PM

random49er
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Posts: 13,381

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by Karma:

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by NYniner85:
Apparently this was a Adam Peters pick.

Kinda weird of Lynch to say that Peters wanted this guy. I'd prefer they wait until Thomas pans out, then say "this was Peters' pick". Now, if Thomas doesn't play well, it puts Peters in a bad light.

Why shield Peters? I think acknowledging his contributions is more valuable. It lets him and other execs (in and out of the organization) know that their input is valuable. Plus, if the pick doesn't work out 99% of people will blame Lynch and Shanahan regardless.

I don't know why they should shield him. I was asking why pin the pick on Peters? Just wait for Thomas to be a solid pick, then you can always give Peters credit when that happens. Anyway, yeah, all picks are made by Lynch/Kyle so in the end it's on those two.

It may be an admission more than anything regarding the makeup of things in the front office. Peters might have his job soon enough.

May 5, 2021 at 7:04 AM

#152

NCommand
Hall of Fame
Posts: 123,365

How it started How it's going pic.twitter.com/9XbLaUCgx5
— 49ers Gab (@49ersGab) May 5, 2021

May 5, 2021 at 12:14 PM

#153

NCommand
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Posts: 123,365

New 49ers CB Ambry Thomas is about 6 ft tall. His 32.25-inch arm length is only about a 1/4 inch shorter than Benjamin St-Juste's, who's 6-3.

Good example of "have-it-all" hybridization 49ers sought: Thomas' height correlates with twitch, long arms great for press man coverage
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) May 5, 2021

May 10, 2021 at 6:37 AM

#154

NYniner85
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Posts: 107,819

Ambry Thomas is so good playing the ball and always seems to be in phase vs deep routes.#AmbryThomas #49ers pic.twitter.com/s87OJxJm4E
— John Chapman (@JL_Chapman) May 10, 2021

May 10, 2021 at 11:28 AM

#155

lamontb
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Posts: 30,036

St Juste went to Michigan as well. I thought he was some garbage. Just a tall dude

May 10, 2021 at 4:05 PM

#156

AB81Rules
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Posts: 32,821

I'm excited for Ambry Thomas, both as a CB and as a return man.

Originally posted by lamontb:
St Juste went to Michigan as well. I thought he was some garbage. Just a tall dude

Crazy thing is I watched the CFL draft stream for 2021, both St. Juste & Chuba Hubbard were taken, despite being 2021 NFL draft picks, both are Canadian, in fact the 2021 draft tied with 4 Canadian draftees, another 4 were signed as UDFAs. The other 2 were one I know is Josh Palmer, forget the 2nd.

May 10, 2021 at 4:17 PM

#157

NYniner85
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Posts: 107,819

New 49ers CB Ambry Thomas allowed a passer rating of only 46.4 at Michigan, per @PFF_Jeff. On throws of 20+ yards, per @PFF_Jarad, that number was even lower — Thomas allowed a 39.9 rating, barely higher than the rating a passer attains for spiking the ball (39.6)
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) May 10, 2021

May 10, 2021 at 4:50 PM

#158

tohara3
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Posts: 28,604

Originally posted by NCommand:

New 49ers CB Ambry Thomas is about 6 ft tall. His 32.25-inch arm length is only about a 1/4 inch shorter than Benjamin St-Juste's, who's 6-3.

Good example of "have-it-all" hybridization 49ers sought: Thomas' height correlates with twitch, long arms great for press man coverage
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) May 5, 2021

Like to hear this for sure

May 11, 2021 at 10:18 AM

#159

NYniner85
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Posts: 107,819

The 49ers are counting on Ambry Thomas to be their primary new long-term building block at outside cornerback. @MZordich and @FBCoachDBrown developed Thomas in college and shared fantastic insight about their chats with John Lynch and Adam Peters:https://t.co/nycXAAFGlX
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) May 11, 2021

May 11, 2021 at 10:21 AM

#160

lamontb
Veteran
Posts: 30,036

Originally posted by AB81Rules:
I'm excited for Ambry Thomas, both as a CB and as a return man.

Originally posted by lamontb:
St Juste went to Michigan as well. I thought he was some garbage. Just a tall dude

Crazy thing is I watched the CFL draft stream for 2021, both St. Juste & Chuba Hubbard were taken, despite being 2021 NFL draft picks, both are Canadian, in fact the 2021 draft tied with 4 Canadian draftees, another 4 were signed as UDFAs. The other 2 were one I know is Josh Palmer, forget the 2nd.

Interesting. I wonder if they could play in both leagues if they really wanted to?

May 11, 2021 at 11:28 AM

#161

49ers808
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Posts: 13,552

Originally posted by NYniner85:

The 49ers are counting on Ambry Thomas to be their primary new long-term building block at outside cornerback. @MZordich and @FBCoachDBrown developed Thomas in college and shared fantastic insight about their chats with John Lynch and Adam Peters:https://t.co/nycXAAFGlX
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) May 11, 2021

Can we get some tidbits from this? Don't have the athletic

May 11, 2021 at 11:56 AM

#162

thl408
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Posts: 32,361

Originally posted by 49ers808:
Can we get some tidbits from this? Don't have the athletic

Though evaluators are mostly sold on Thomas' skill set, there are weaknesses to address. In an otherwise positive scouting report shared via email, NFL Films senior analyst Greg Cosell wrote that Thomas had a "tendency at times to get a little grabby and handsy when he felt he was losing contact through the route stem." Cosell also noted that Thomas' hips "looked a little tight" when he was forced to change direction.

Alabama receiver Devonta Smith, picked 10th by Philadelphia in the recent draft, beat Thomas on a crosser and on a vertical route when the two squared off in the January 2020 Citrus Bowl — Thomas' most recent game action aside from the Senior Bowl. It's safe that Smith represented the best competition Thomas faced in college, and the cornerback did indeed struggle at times against him.

"One thing that really stands out, looking back on it, was Ambry's attitude, his positive attitude, his attention to detail in terms of doing everything the doctors told him," Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who coached the 49ers from 2011 to 2014, said in September 2019. "Right down to the rest, the diet, the fluids he was taking in. He was so mature with the attitude that he had."

Said Brown: "He's a dog in this respect: If he doesn't like what's going on with his teammates, he'll let you know about it. He's one of those guys. He's a leader, has leadership skills and is not afraid to voice his opinion."

New 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans' football background is different than Saleh's — Zordich was on Philadelphia's staff in 2012 when Ryans played there ("He was smart as hell," Zordich said) — and plentiful signs indicate the 49ers are looking to make their secondary more versatile.

Thomas, with his heavy man-coverage background, excellent speed and demonstrated physicality, represents that push for adaptability.
-----------------------------
The article also mentioned how Adam Peters wanted the pick and how AThomas overcame colitis.

May 11, 2021 at 12:04 PM

#163

Phoenix49ers
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Posts: 119,395

Originally posted by 49ers808:
Can we get some tidbits from this? Don't have the athletic

This part really stood out to me. Tells a lot about his determination, work ethic and love for the game to bounce back from colitis and on to the playing field again so quickly.

https://theathletic.com/2573994/2021/05/11/how-the-49ers-were-sold-on-ambry-thomas-the-tenacious-michigan-cornerback/

There's also the tenacity Thomas showed in the face of severe illness before his breakout 2019 season. This convinced Peters and eventually the entire 49ers brass that Thomas had the mettle to shoulder such a key load in the secondary at the next level.

Zordich and Brown frequently visited Thomas at the hospital in June and July of 2019. Their cornerback had been stricken with colitis, an inflammatory disease in the inner lining of the colon. Thomas lost 35 pounds during the ordeal and was bedridden for about three weeks.

Doctors initially told him his 2019 season was toast, but Thomas was determined to play.

Brown remains astounded by how Thomas stormed so quickly from a hospital bed to deliver a premium season of football in the Big Ten.

"I don't know how he did it," Brown said. "I really don't. He's a special guy, now. Some guys would have missed a lot of time. Not this guy. He didn't miss a thing.

May 11, 2021 at 12:10 PM

#164

Heroism
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Posts: 23,313

When the CB drafted by the 49ers isn't tall, stiff and can play man

May 11, 2021 at 12:14 PM

#165

NCommand
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Posts: 123,365

How Adam Peters and Mike Zordich sold John Lynch on Ambry Thomas, the 49ers' new and tenacious cornerback.

Zordich, Lynch's contemporary in the league, worked under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. So did Don Brown, who I also spoke to for this: https://t.co/Z7Hgph5fqx
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) May 11, 2021