San Francisco 49ers: 5 players who must improve

1. Solomon Thomas

Top three NFL Draft picks tend to be pretty good, but with that, people tend to have high expectations for them. Last season, it’s fair to say that Thomas didn’t necessarily live up to the hype. By no means was he bad, but he also didn’t always look like a guy that was drafted third overall. With 41 tackles and three sacks Thomas was productive, but it is obvious that there is more potential for him to grow into.

More importantly than how players perform as a rookie is how they adapt and improve going into their second year. Another training camp and offseason of training typically really helps young players, but it is when coaches can truly assess a players worth. Thomas needs to take another step forward in his improvement to really give the 49ers a chance at competing with the Rams in the NFC West.

Thomas, Buckner, and Armstead can make for a pretty nasty trio if they are all hitting on all cylinders. If all three improve heading into 2018, the 49ers could have one of the better defensive lines in the league next season. Thomas has all the tools and every opportunity to take another step towards being an elite defensive end.

Next: Los Angeles Rams: 5 players who must improve

A big frame helps his strength, but he doesn’t have the size that a lot of teams covet for their defensive linemen. He makes up for it with his quickness, but if he is able to bulk up and keep adding mass, Thomas can be a game-changer. The 49ers will rely heavily on Thomas improving in 2018, and according to most of the experts, he will.