The San Francisco 49ers may have just landed a massive steal in free agency following the 2026 NFL Draft class.
The San Francisco 49ers just put together a slightly bizarre 2026 NFL Draft class, which has been pretty consistent under head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch. While there is some negativity around the overall haul, every class has value to be found, both during and after the draft concluded.
After the draft, the 49ers were able to land former Illinois defensive tackle James Thompson Jr., who many thought would be drafted. This is a perfect situation for Thompson to walk into with depth issues on the interior defensive line for San Francisco. He was talented enough to get drafted, and now the 49ers have a chance to explore his fit.
We could look back at Thompson’s fall and wonder what caused him to fall out of the seven rounds, especially in a poor draft class. There is a lot of value and upside to work with here.
From a physical perspective, there is a lot to like about Thompson. At 6-5 and 308 pounds, he is a really smooth overall athlete. There is some natural penetration upside, especially in the running game. Thompson has also shown upside working at the point of attack, including improved hand nuance and timing with experience in both even and odd fronts.
The 49ers have been a team that has also prioritized versatile defensive tackles in the past. Thompson fits that profile perfectly. Despite Thompson being a bit of an older prospect, there is still some clear athletic upside left to tap into.
Thompson was considered to be a three-star defensive end out of Cincinnati (Ohio) Roger Bacon in the 2020 recruiting class. The Wisconsin signee finished ranked as the No. 1,310 overall player, the No. 64 strong-side defensive end, and the No. 55 player from the state of Ohio for the class. He chose the Badgers over offers from Iowa State, Akron, Ball State, Coastal Carolina, and Navy.
During his five seasons with Wisconsin, Thompson developed into a key producer on the interior. During that stretch, he recorded 59 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, five sacks, two pass breakups, and a fumble recovery. After an injury in 2024, Thompson opted to return to school for a sixth season.
Thompson decided to transfer to Illinois during his final season. He was rewarded with an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (coaches and media) selection. During that campaign, Thompson played and started in all 13 games. He recorded 41 total tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, two quarterback hurries, and one pass breakup. It was his most consistent season.