49ers First Draft: Final Pre-Draft Thoughts
Draft Day is here!
It’s the official holiday for college and professional football junkies all over the country: the First Round of the 2016 NFL Draft begins tonight. With a draft class most likely headed by potential franchise quarterbacks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, the first round has otherwise been difficult to predict.
The seventh pick for the San Francisco 49ers have been no different. In the months leading up to the draft, projections have been all over the place. Over the past week, I’ve covered particular draft prospects here, here, here, here, here and here — some that the 49ers likely have no chance of grabbing, others more so.
Having said all that, I have a few more thoughts to share about what could go down tonight in Round 1 for the Niners. If they don’t happen to go after the players I talked about over the past week, don’t be surprised if they do one (or more) of the following:
Draft Ole Miss OT Laremy Tunsil. I realize that in my vlog about Notre Dame OT Ronnie Stanley, I stated point blank that going after top offensive tackle prospect Laremy Tunsil was a bit of a pipe dream — after all, most mock drafts leading up to today had the 6'5", 310-lb prospect going to San Diego at No. 3 overall.
But mocks change, as they do, and now most have the Chargers targeting Florida State CB/S Jalen Ramsey or Oregon DE DeForest Buckner. If Tunsil somehow gets past OT-needy Baltimore at No. 6, the 49ers could have what many believe to be the top offensive tackle prospect land in their laps. As Stanley was an analyst favorite to be drafted by San Francisco, Tunsil could be a better option, long-term.
Draft Ohio State DE/OLB Joey Bosa. Many draft projections had the defensive line standout from Columbus being taken in the top 5 — the Cowboys at No. 4 overall being a projected favorite. This was among the reasons why I neglected to mention Bosa in my draft options over the past week.
But, again, things could change — and in an ever-shifting draft board, there’s a real possibility that the 6'6", 276-lb beast could fall to No. 7. There are concerns about pure fit into the 49ers’ defensive scheme, but passing on a quality talent like this might not be an option, depending on how the draft plays out.
Draft Michigan State OT Jack Conklin. I can only see this if 1) both Tunsil and Stanley are off the board in the top 6; and 2) the 49ers are desperate for a first-round talent at offensive tackle.
This isn’t to say that Conklin would be a major reach at 7th overall. Despite a recent rise in many draft boards, Conklin comes out of a Michigan State squad that has produced a strong offensive line year in and year out. He’s also been projected to be a top-10 pick in the draft — so, if the 49ers are willing to reach just a little bit, they would have someone to insert into the right side of the offensive line from Day 1.
Draft Georgia LB Leonard Floyd. Consider this a Dark Horse pick on the defensive side of the ball — especially if the 49ers are dead set on bolstering the defensive line, and Buckner and Bosa are off the board. Flying up the draft boards in recent weeks, the 6'6", 244-lb linebacker has two things that Baalke apparently covets in a first-round defensive line prospect: length and athleticism.
A main concern would likely be size and strength, however — if the 49ers were to draft him at 7th overall, they would need to bulk him up a bit, like they did for LB/DE Aaron Lynch. If that were the case, and he could play effectively in the defensive front, he could be worth the relative risk.
Draft Memphis QB Paxton Lynch. This has become an increasingly popular take on the seventh-overall pick in recent weeks — even by 49ers legendary WR Jerry Rice. The fact is, with the 49ers keeping the fate of incumbent QB Colin Kaepernick in limbo, and the un-attractive long-term prospect of Blaine Gabbert at the helm, it makes sense to an increasing amount of analysts that the 49ers take a flyer on the towering 6'6', 225-lb prospect with the cannon arm.
A couple problems with the notion: First, taking Lynch — a QB project that many believe isn’t worth it until the mid-to-late first round — with the No. 7 overall pick is considered a major reach. And, for a team needing impact right away, taking a project that high would be a calculated mistake.
Second, Lynch is a tall, raw prospect with a great frame and a cannon arm, but struggles with accuracy at times. Stop me if that sounds familiar.
Why would the 49ers, actively seeking to trade Colin Kaepernick, use their top pick to draft Kaepernick, version 2.0? It would simply make no sense. That said, crazier picks have been drafted by San Francisco in recent years.
Draft Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott. This was an idea posited by various media outlets in recent weeks: if the consensus No. 1 RB prospect fell to the No. 7 spot, the 49ers should think long and hard to take him.
At first, one would think that this would be foolish of San Francisco to even consider. After all, they currently have a running back stable that runs four deep, at least — from recovering No. 1 back Carlos Hyde to NRL standout Jarryd Hayne, they’re pretty much set at the position.
However, the 49ers needn’t overthink this, say proponents of such a pick: between Hyde’s oft-injured 2015 campaign, Hayne’s inexperience, and relative question marks with Mike Davis and Shaun Draughn, San Francisco should insert an elite runner to turn the stable from solid, to great. If Hyde can stay healthy, the 49ers could use both Ohio State alums to form a potent 1–2 punch in the ground game.
Trade Down in the first round. It would be a classic Baalke move — trading down in the draft in order to stockpile more future picks. He did it last year with the 15th overall pick (albeit only two spots to 17th overall), and still got their projected first rounder, Arik Armstead. Baalke has wheeled and dealed many of the 49ers’ picks to maneuver themselves for more selections in recent years.
This year, however, it might actually be more of a possibility that Baalke doesn’t trade down. With the 12 picks the 49ers currently have, there’s a chance that Baalke would be making a mistake by going with his modus operandi, considering the relative lack of talent in the current roster. If the fan base believes Baalke could be on the hot seat, now is as good a time as any to unload all of the ammo now, make some bold trades to go UP in the draft order, and grab as many quality prospects as possible.