San Francisco 49ers cornerback Ambry Thomas has experienced a whirlwind of a start to his career, struggling during his first training camp before elevating to a starter due to injuries, and then seeing a sophomore slump over his sophomore season.
Thomas, a third-round pick in 2021, came into the offseason potentially on the roster bubble, as the 49ers loaded up with young talent at cornerback, drafting fifth-rounder Darrel Luter Jr. and signing undrafted free agent D'Shawn Jamison, who have both impressed.
That carried into training camp, where Thomas was seen in reps against the first-team offense and struggled at times off-coverage against Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.
However, the cornerback has turned it around, arguably being the player of the game for the 49ers in Week 1, which earned him glowing remarks from defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
That leads us to a question I didn't think we'd hear this offseason: does Ambry Thomas have a chance to start games in 2023?
In an ugly 34-7 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders last week, defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was not happy with the defense's play, but did single out a few contributors on his side of the ball, with Ambry Thomas leading the charge.
"But it was encouraging to see individuals do certain things," Wilks shared. "[CB] Ambry [Thomas], I thought, did a tremendous job in some of the things that we saw on tape, particularly also during the game, coming up strong on that fourth down play and then having a PBU (pass breakup)."
What's changed for Thomas in his approach to becoming a more-refined player this offseason?
"I would say, for me, after Week 8 last year, I put in my mind right there what I was doing in the offseason," Thomas admitted to reporters on Tuesday. "I had my offseason plan already planned out. I knew when I was leaving, I knew where I was going, I knew who I was training with. So around that time, that's when it kind of clicked in for me."
As for what went wrong, Thomas felt, after a strong end to his rookie campaign, that he was handed opportunities, which lowered his preparation.
"I just felt like, mentally, I wasn't prepared," Thomas said of his sophomore NFL season. "Physically, I wasn't prepared. I kind of felt like it was given to me just because I came off a strong playoff run my rookie year. But this year, anybody's job is up for grabs. That's how I look at it, and that's the mentality I took going into work, starting from OTAs."
Of course, this season is much different with the cornerback on the roster bubble, and it's been a nice response to Thomas, who was initially drafted to fit that press-man mold, which has truly come under fruition with Wilks at the helm.
"I just feel like I'm getting back to who I am. Last year, I don't feel like I was me all the way. ... I just didn't feel like me. But now, I feel like I'm back," Thomas said after his performance Sunday. "For me, it felt good to be back out there. "I feel like I ain't played football in almost a year. So it just felt good to be back out there with my team, getting comfortable with the cause, playing fast."
Now, back to the million-dollar question: can Thomas earn a starting spot?
Well, the cornerback has already reportedly seen first-team reps at cornerback, with the 49ers trying out starter Deommodore Lenoir on the inside in an effort to get the team's three best cornerbacks on the field.
That leaves an opportunity for Thomas and second-year cornerback Samuel Womack to earn first-team reps with the top defense and make the most of those opportunities.
During training camp, it was a close battle, but Womack arguably was the more consistent cornerback.
But, Thomas has the talent that Steve Wilks is looking for, and his measurables are a good fit for the press-man system, making it a good match should the cornerback win the job.
Thomas's opportunity to continue building off a strong preseason comes later on Saturday when the 49ers host the Denver Broncos at 5:30 PM.
