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Ambry Thomas by the end of the 2021 season looked like a long-term starter in the 49ers’ secondary. By the time injuries struck the 49ers’ secondary in 2022 it was clear the 2021 third-round pick had fallen off of his original upward trajectory. This season may be his last chance to point his arrow upward again with the 49ers, and he appears to have taken the right steps this offseason.
While OTAs and minicamp don’t tell the whole story for a player, they’re key for a player like Thomas to simply get some momentum going into the break before training camp. Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks on Wednesday after the team wrapped its offseason football activities said Thomas and the other young CBs did all the right things in those sessions.
“Ambry, I thought has had a great OTAs and mini-camp,” Wilks said. “So when you look at those two guys (Thomas and CB Deommodore Lenoir) with the amount of reps they’ve taken with Mooney (Charvarius Ward) not being there, I think it has only been a plus. And I saw progression with Sammy (CB Samuel Womack III) as well, Womack, so I’m excited about the young guys that we have on the outside.”
Thomas has perhaps the most to gain or lose in camp this year. There’s a path to him grabbing a starting job, but there’s also a path to him not making the final roster. Wilks emphasized that playing well in camp and the preseason will be the next, more important step for Thomas.
“I think right now, I’m very impressed with being in gym shorts right now,” Wilks said. “But I think once we get the pads on in training camp – we have an opportunity to go practice against the Raiders before we play them and we’ll see exactly once we get to the preseason, but I’m very confident that he can get it done.”
OTAs and minicamp aren’t ultimately going to tell the story for a player on their path to a roster spot, but Thomas was in a place where he couldn’t afford any more steps backward. If he plays well in camp and the preseason, even if he doesn’t snag the starting job from Lenoir, an improved version of Thomas would be a dramatic upgrade for the 49ers’ depth at a position where they desperately need it.
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