New 49ers GM John Lynch played his college ball at Stanford, just like the defensive end that he could select with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft: Solomon Thomas.
But the MMQB's Jenny Vrentas reports that Lynch doesn't just know Thomas from doing his homework on all the top NFL prospects in the run-up to the draft. It turns out Lynch actually did school work with Thomas when both teamed on a group project for a class they took together at Stanford.
From Vrentas:
During Thomas' freshman year, Lynch returned to Stanford to finish his college degree after a successful 15-year NFL career. One of the classes he took that semester was a Management Science and Engineering class on how to make good decisions. Not only was Thomas in his class—they worked together on a project.
The topic: Should the Washington NFL team change its name? Thomas says he can't remember their verdict; the project was more about the decision-making process. "He was on top of all the stuff, coming back as an older person, compared to us young people," Thomas recalled of Lynch. "He was on top of discipline, very studious and diligent."
That's, um, crazy. Most draftniks expect Thomas to be in play for the No. 2 pick, although a QB is reportedly also a real option and Lynch has previously stated that he's open to dealing the pick as well.
Four of six our of our mock drafters have Thomas going to the 49ers at No. 2, while Will Brinson and Dane Brugler expect Lynch to select LSU safety Jamal Adams. You can check out our Mock Draft Central page here.
As for final grades, Thomas said he got a B+, while he didn't know Lynch's final mark guesses it was an A. He also said the two kept in touch and that he'd call Lynch during his time at Stanford to ask for advice.
And what if Lynch doesn't take him?
"It's going to be fine," Thomas told Vrentas. "He has to make the best decision for his team and who he thinks is the best player. If it's not me and it's someone else, I'll go to the next team, or whichever team chooses me."
If the two do wind up together, maybe at Thomas' introductory press conference the two can answer the question that's now on everyone's mind: Should Washington change its mascot name for its football team?