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Aussie link renewed with 49ers' draft pick

The 49ers moved back a spot and still got their guy.

San Francisco chose Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas with the third overall pick Thursday in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia.

The Niners swapped picks with the Bears, who went from the third spot to No. 2 in order to select North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. The Browns took Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett with the No. 1 overall pick.

Thomas lived in Sydney for five years from when he was two until his family moved to Texas when he was seven.

"It was a great experience," Thomas said in an interview with Fox Sports US.

"I feel like, everyone there was just happy. I don’t know if that’s because it’s always so beautiful. Going to get fish and chips or (hanging with) my swim team, my friends, always outside doing something. Nobody really stayed inside. There was no reason to. It was a great time.”

Thomas receives his first 49ers jersey. Pic: Getty
Thomas receives his first 49ers jersey. Pic: Getty

The 6-3, 273-pound Thomas gives the 49ers the edge rusher they also desperately need and he fits the team’s new 4-3 system perfectly. Thomas recorded 11 1/2 sacks and 25 1/2 tackles for loss over the last two years.

"What jumps off tape is his interior twitch," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said of Thomas.

"By that I mean when you look at a guy like Aaron Donald and what he does inside in sub-pass rush situations, that's a best-case scenario. I'm not saying he's Aaron Donald. He's 12 pounds lighter than Donald.

"I think he's a base defensive end on first down that kicks inside in your sub-packages. But it's that interior twitch and ability to push the pocket from the inside out that makes him special."

The Niners do need a quarterback and will probably take one later in the draft, but they could not pass up the generous offer from the Bears.

The Bears gave up a third- and fourth-round pick this year (Nos. 67 and 111 overall) and a third-round pick in next year's draft to move up one spot.