While rookies like wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling and defensive tackle Gracen Halton have received much of the shine during their first training camps with the San Francisco 49ers, an undrafted rookie is starting to make a name for himself. An injury Sunday could open the door for him to carve out a roster spot.
The 49ers signed defensive tackle James Thompson out of the University of Illinois on April 26. With DTs CJ West and Alfred Collins entering Year 2, Halton entering as a fourth-round pick and veteran Osa Odighizuwa arriving in Santa Clara via trade, there didn't seem to be much room for a player like Thompson to make a name for himself.
Then he went out in his preseason debut and posted three tackles with 0.5 sacks in 22 snaps after flashing throughout training camp. Pro Football Focus credited him with two sacks, two pressures and a run stop.
A strong camp and preseason debut were enough to make Thompson the 49ers' first option off the bench when defensive tackle CJ West went down with an undisclosed injury during Sunday's practice.
Via ESPN's Nick Wagoner on Twitter:
Have mentioned UDFA DT James Thompson Jr. here a bunch but it's worth noting he was first up to step in for West when he was shaken up today. I had Thompson down for a couple of wins in 1v1 and then multiple run stuffs and a shared would-be sack during team drills.
This is a pretty significant development for the 6-6, 308-pound rookie. San Francisco is going to carry several defensive tackles and the fact they're already giving him additional opportunities when there's an injury in front of him on the depth chart is a good sign that he's trending the right direction toward a roster spot.
Of course, one practice in mid-August won't make or break a player's chances, but there are a ton of signs pointing Thompson's way when it comes to carving out a place in San Francisco's defensive line rotation. There's a joint practice coming up Tuesday with the Los Angeles Chargers before the 49ers and Chargers face off at SoFi Stadium on Thursday. If Thompson continues making plays through that joint practice and in Thursday's game, it's going to become very difficult to leave him out of the mix when it comes to the initial 53-man roster.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Intriguing undrafted rookie gets opportunity with injury to 49ers DL