49ers GM John Lynch Sounds Off on Rookie Defender’s Struggles

GETTY 49ers rookie corner Ambry Thomas makes a grab during practice.

When San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch approached the 2021 NFL Draft, he knew there were key spots to address.

Most notably, that was quarterback, and the Niners drafted Trey Lance as the third overall pick. However, there were other areas to address too, like cornerback.

So the 49ers took Ambry Thomas from Michigan in the third round, looking to fill the gap that Richard Sherman and other now-departed corners have left in the past year or so. While Thomas’ performances have fluctuated from terrible to encouraging, Lynch is feeling just as strong about the pick as he did in April.

The Niners’ GM hopped on KNBR for an interview Thursday to chat ahead of the Niners’ Week 17 clash with the Houston Texans on Sunday. When the topic of Thomas came up, Lynch balanced the good and the bad.

“I really feel convicted that we’ve got a starting corner for years to come. And that’s what we thought when we drafted him,” Lynch said. “We also knew that there was some inherent physical development that needed to take place, and I think that still remains. And we’re not going to fix that this year. He’s just got to kind of grow into his body a little bit.”

Thomas has been thrusted into a starting role due to injuries to starting corners Emmanuel Moseley and Jason Verrett. After some serious struggles, there’s signs that the rookie is making progress.

ALL the latest 49ers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on 49ers newsletter here!

Lynch Sat Down with 49ers’ Rookie Corner

Thomas made his first career start in the 26-23 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, and it wasn’t exactly a dream beginning. As Pro Football Reference shows us, he was a bit of a liability against Cincinnati’s high-powered passing offense.

Thomas allowed 71.4 percent of the targets against him to be completed, giving up 18.4 yards per catch, a touchdown and a 153.3 passer rating. Lynch says he took the rookie aside for a lesson after the game.

“I told Ambry after that game against Cincinnati, ‘Man, you’re doing the hard part. You’re putting yourself in position,'” Lynch said. “And now, it becomes a mentality. I probably used a bad example because I was talking [Chicago Bulls icon] Dennis Rodman with him, and he probably didn’t know who Dennis Rodman was. It’s a mentality. ‘When that ball’s up there, that’s my ball.'”

Things didn’t get especially better the next week against the Atlanta Falcons. The San Francisco rookie still gave up a touchdown, an average catch of 23.8 yards and a 141.4 passer rating.

However, there were signs of improvement that were fully realized in Week 16.

Thomas Breaks Through in Nashville

The 20-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans was a tough one to swallow, especially since the Niners were up 20-10. Fortunately, they did have the silver lining of Thomas playing at a very high level.

On four targets, the Michigan product only allowed one completion, albeit a 42-yard bomb to star receiver AJ Brown. Thomas was able to register two passes defended on good ball-skill plays, and maintain a relatively quiet game, which is ideal for a rookie defensive back.

So after Lynch’s Rodman comments about making plays on the ball, Thomas delivers. That’s exactly why the San Francisco general manager is confident going forward.

“So I think, as he continues to grow, he’s got a really good feel for playing the position,” Lynch continued. “I think he’s answered some of the physicality things that showed themselves early in training camp, and I think he’s really coming along. In a nice way, he’s kind of been force-fed here, but he’s answered the call.”