This 49ers Starter Won't Be Back in 2021
By Michael Luciano
The San Francisco 49ers have one of the best defensive lines in all of the NFL, and that success has come with a guy that many will call a bust holding down one of the starting spots.
Pass rusher Solomon Thomas has disappointed after being picked No. 3 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, as he has managed just six sacks in three seasons as a pro. He's a free agent in 2021, and the development of Nick Bosa -- plus the big bucks handed out to Arik Armstead and Dee Ford -- make it hard to envision a scenario in which he returns.
For those of you who wanted to know how Solomon Thomas was performing on the interior. #49ers
— PFF SF 49ers (@PFF_49ers) October 13, 2019
(@ThomasFrankCarr )pic.twitter.com/iv9yM8oPZb
Thomas thought that he might have a chance at starting now that DeForest Buckner is an Indianapolis Colt, but the selection of Javon Kinlaw in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft likely will push Thomas back to the bench in what should be his final campaign in San Francisco.
Dre Greenlaw on 49ers first round pick Javon Kinlaw: He very well may be the Defensive Rookie of the Year. He has that kind of potential.
— Niners Nation (@NinersNation) May 20, 2020
Thomas fell victim to the "jack of all trades, master of none" designation. He can do a lot of different things on the defensive line, but isn't good enough in any one of them to become a star. Resurrecting his career is probably not a task that a 49ers team that will compete for championships will want to take on.