San Francisco 49ers: 5 Players to watch on defense in 2018 training camp
Solomon Thomas
It’s been a rough transition from college to the pros for Thomas. The coaches didn’t know exactly how to use him properly as he was labeled a “tweener” and found himself lost once he was on the playing field.
Another thing that didn’t help was the fact that he was overthinking, per the Sacramento Bee:
"I overthink sometimes. Just trying to adjust to this scheme. You know, I haven’t really played on the edge much my whole career. So adjusting to that and to moving inside during games. I’m adjusting to it all. It’s taken me longer than I expected, but I’m working hard to make sure I fix some things and become the best player I can be out there."
He’s being given a chance to change roles as he and Arik Armstead (mentioned before) have switched positions. Thomas will now be at the LEO spot and may excel at this critical role. He’s lowered his weight from 280 to 256 pounds, which is necessary for this position. However, he will need to display the right amount of athleticism to dominate here and improve his pass rushing from the edge.
Next. 20 Best Fantasy Football Team Names of 2018. dark
Richard Sherman
The former Seahawk turned a lot of heads when chose to defect to the divisional rival 49ers. However, with him in San Francisco, he brings more than just his uncanny brand of bravado and trash talking. Sherman also brings his All-Pro talent and experience to a relatively young 49ers secondary that now features two starters (Ahkello Witherspoon and Adrian Colbert) in Year 2 of their careers.
The Stanford alum is coming off of a torn Achilles that cut his 2017 season short. It’s unsure if he will have that same breakaway speed to defend faster receivers. But the veteran defensive back will find a way to adapt and continue his phenomenal play in San Francisco.