As the 49ers prepare to take on the Seahawks Sunday, they suddenly have more manpower for what has been an injury-ravaged defensive line.
This week, the Niners acquired defensive linemen Sheldon Day, formerly of the Jaguars, and Cassius Marsh, who last played for the Patriots and Seahawks. Also returning from injuries are No. 1 draft choice Solomon Thomas, Aaron Lynch and Tank Carradine. It’s not certain Carradine will be activated in time for Sunday’s game, but it’s possible.
With the influx of bodies, there figures to be a competition for playing time over the 49ers’ final six games.
“The D-line is starting to get healthy, so there’s going to be some healthy scratches,” defensive coordinator Robert Saleh told Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee this week.
The Niners certainly are happy for the return of Thomas, the former standout at Stanford who was the No. 3 overall pick in the draft this spring.
Thomas has missed the past two games. When he’s been in the lineup, he’s been solid and versatile, playing outside and inside. He’s been in on 26 tackles and has two sacks. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers, but 49ers general manager John Lynch says those stats don’t tell the whole story. Thomas has shown he can take on and beat top-echelon blockers and be a force and a big part of the future of the line, along with fellow first-round picks Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner.
“I feel like these last six games are going to be really good for him,” Lynch told Barrows. “He’s a worker. I challenge anyone to say he hasn’t played extremely well. I think he’s been a very solid player. I only think it will get better.”
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Lynch said the 49ers expected Thomas to be a work in progress in 2017. The more experience he gets and the more he learns, he should transition to a much higher level of production.
“I think some people are saying, ‘The No. 3 pick, maybe perhaps should be a little more dynamic.’ But his play is solid,” said Lynch.
The 49ers, 1-9 after their victory over the Giants before last week’s bye, are 6½-point underdogs to the 6-4 Seahawks. Kickoff Sunday is set for 1:05 p.m. at Levi’s Stadium.
