Why Ambry Thomas is on the 49ers' Roster Bubble
![Dec 10, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) catches a touchdown in front of San Francisco 49ers cornerback Ambry Thomas (20) in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports Dec 10, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) catches a touchdown in front of San Francisco 49ers cornerback Ambry Thomas (20) in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4296,h_2416,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_49ers/01j33b25jhbypwh38t67.jpg)
All 32 of Sports Illustrated's NFL team publishers recently identified players who are on the roster bubble of the team they cover. For the 49ers, I picked cornerback Ambry Thomas. Here's why:
"The 49ers drafted Thomas in the third round of the 2021 draft, thinking he could become a starter at some point, but he hasn’t panned out. When he’s on the field, he’s a liability. So last season, he got benched from the nickel defense in favor of Logan Ryan, who had been retired. Now the 49ers drafted cornerback Renardo Green in the second round and there may not be any more space on the roster for Thomas."
The 49ers have given Thomas lots of opportunities to show he belongs in the NFL. When he was a rookie in 2021, he started five games and played 333 snaps, but he essentially was a liability. He gave up a passer rating of 118 when targeted that season. And that's why he hardly played in 2022.
In 2023, the 49ers had no choice to but turn to Thomas once nickelback Isaiah Oliver got benched. Thomas went on to play 481 snaps, and he allowed a passer rating of 97.9 when targeted. Then he got benched for Logan Ryan, whom the 49ers signed out of retirement -- that's how desperate they were to replace Thomas. And in five regular season games with the 49ers, Ryan gave up a passer rating of just 78.5. So he was an upgrade.
Now the 49ers recently drafted cornerback Renardo Green in Round 2, plus they signed veteran cornerbacks Isaac Yiadom and Rock Ya-Sin. So unless Thomas steps up his game significantly, he'll be gone soon.