A Forgotten Viking Might Be Back on the Radar
When casual Minnesota Vikings fans see the name Ambry Thomas on the current 90-man roster, some are tempted to think “camp body,” and continue about their day.
Former third-round pick and recent Vikings newcomer Ambry Thomas could be a name to watch in 2025. At just 25, he’s young enough to make waves, and training camp is just around the corner.
But the 3rd-Round pick by the San Francisco 49ers might have more to offer than that, and as of late, the Vikings community has begun to take notice.
Thomas should be considered a contender to make the back end of Minnesota’s CB depth chart.
Don’t Forget about Little-Known Vikings CB Ambry Thomas
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed Thomas in March.
Ambry Thomas Quietly Battling for a Roster Spot
Thomas has played 42 career games since the start of 2022, starting 11 with the San Francisco 49ers, a team that remained a consistent contender with Thomas on the depth chart.
The new Viking will battle for a roster spot at training camp in 17 days and the preseason two weeks after that.
Thomas has played 855 career defensive snaps in the NFL, and before an injury ruined his campaign, he banked a decent 97.9 passer-rating-against in 2023 — the season when the 49ers lost in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs.
He’s not “some guy” or UDFA longshot. Thomas has more experience than Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern and a resume somewhat similar to Isaiah Rodgers, whom the Vikings signed in March, as well.
The Athletic Shines Light on Thomas
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis delivered observations on each Vikings defensive player this week. On Thomas, he opined, “He’s a former third-round pick, which was not something I knew before writing this. Thomas is only 25 years old, still young enough to keep eyes on.”
If Thomas were to bounce back from a summer injury that cancelled his 2024 campaign, now would be the precise time for the resurgence.
Ambry Thomas’ PFF History
Thomas’ Pro Football Focus history is decent, especially his 2023 output before the 2024 injury:
2024: n/a
2023: 71.5
2022: 59.0
2021: 46.1
Of course, purple fans will hope for the 71.5 performance if Thomas makes the September roster. Stay tuned.
The CB Competition
Here’s the cornerback group for Minnesota, with training camp around the corner:
CB1: Byron Murphy Jr.
CB2: Isaiah Rodgers
CB3: Mekhi Blackmon
CB4: Jeff Okudah
CB5: Dwight McGlothern
CB6: Tavierre Thomas
CB7: Ambry Thomas
CB8: Reddy Steward
CB9: Kahlef Hailassie
CB10: Zemaiah Vaughn
CB11: Keenan Barber
Tavierre Thomas — no relation — has an inside track to some summer momentum due to his special teams prowess.
Janik Eckardt on Thomas
Our own Janik Eckardt highlighted Thomas in May: “Ambry Thomas entered the league in the 2021 draft and was a third-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers. He spent his collegiate days at Michigan, playing in the secondary with Joshua Metellus, who is a well-known commodity in the Twin Cities. Noteworthy is that Thomas opted out of the 2020 season and was still a third-rounder in 2021, showing that there is undoubtedly some talent.”
“Last preseason, Thomas suffered a broken forearm and was placed on IR. In December, the 49ers released him, and the Colts claimed him off waivers. Thomas never fully broke into San Francisco’s starting lineup, but he played 855 snaps on a stacked defense and even appeared in five postseason games, including a Super Bowl against Patrick Mahomes.”
Thomas should absolutely be considered a dark horse to make the 53-man roster. His tenure in San Francisco wasn’t accidental.
Eckardt added, “Super Bowl contenders usually don’t have poor players on the field, so that’s worth something. For about five months, he has barely been noticed on Minnesota’s roster, viewed as a generic practice squad guy, but his resume shows he isn’t that random at all and has already gotten some experience in the NFL.”
“Thomas certainly has a chance to compete. He’s more than just a camp body, and he will get the chance to reclaim a roster spot this offseason and possibly even compete for a rotational role. He is still only 25 years old.”
Thomas also played 240 defensive snaps during the 49ers’ 2023 postseason run.
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