Over the course of July, Bucky Brooks has been writing about the top prospects he has scouted over the years. On Friday, he broke down the top ten pass rushers he has scouted. Julius Peppers topped the list thanks to his ridiculous combination of size, speed, and power.
The list However, a few notable names from that list for 49ers fans. There are no current or former 49ers players, but one 49er has had a chance to work with at least three players on the list. Brooks’ list includes Von Miller at No. 2, DeMarcus Ware at No. 6, and Khalil Mack at No. 8. 49ers rookie Solomon Thomas has spent some time working with and observing all three of them.
Thomas spent some time with Ware in Dallas in advance of 49ers rookie minicamp. Thomas then followed that up with work at Von Miller’s Pass Rush Summit. Thomas (and Arik Armstead and Trent Brown) got a chance to work with Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and Khalil Mack.
I have no idea what kind of instructor Miller or Ware are, and we also don’t know how Thomas, Armstead, and Brown operate when it comes to soaking up information from veterans. It’s useful to know they are seeking out these kinds of talented players. The next step is learning and building their own skillset from what they learned.
The 49ers kick off training camp on July 27, and at that point (assuming Thomas gets signed), we’ll get to hear from the players about their offseason experiences. Hopefully they can provide some details on the things they learned from some of these great pass rush talents.