Ambry

Thomas

Shanahan said Thomas will be out for “some time.” We’ll likely get more on the specifics of his absence in the coming days, but the third-year corner saw significant playing time in his first preseason game, with the 49ers sitting most of their starters. Thomas started five of the 13 games he appeared in for the 49ers last season, earning a PFF coverage grade of 70.5 while allowing 39 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns on 56 targets. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him open the regular season on injured reserve, which would require him to miss at least the first four games of the season.

Thomas was listed as questionable after nursing a knee injury. He will now return for the 49ers’ Thursday Night matchup against the Giants.

Lenoir actually started across from Josh Norman in San Francisco’s last matchup against the Packers. Thomas’ absence is a huge one since he was previously slated to start. Nick Bosa and Fred Warner will play.

The 49ers are in a difficult spot with corners K’Waun Williams and Dontae Johnson placed on the list earlier this week. Thomas was forced into a starting role in Week 14 and has held onto the gig ever since. If none of the corners can get cleared in time for Week 18, expect Matt Stafford to tee off on the 49ers.

Thomas (5'11/191) opted out of the 2020 season, leaving 2019 as his only season in which he was a starter. Thomas performed rather well in that one season. He picked off three passes while knocking down three others. The first-year starter was named to the third-team All Big Ten squad by the conference’s coaches for his efforts. Thomas was also a special teams stud for Michigan, serving as their kick returner in both 2018 and 2019. He returned one kick for a score in 2019. Thomas is remarkably average across the board, except for his 4.38 40-yard dash time. Thomas tends to win by pressing at the line of scrimmage and winning reps before they get started. Thomas will need to clean up some of his footwork and technique to unlock his speed more consistently. He’ll join a Niners secondary graded by PFF as the league’s third best in 2020.