SANTA CLARA — The San Francisco 49ers weren’t the story on Night 2 of the NFL draft, but the organization’s strategy has emerged in the first 48 hours of the draft process.
Accumulate future draft picks for trade leverage, build a bully on defense and trust Kyle Shanahan to elevate later round talent on offense.
Pick No. 66 — Ahkello Witherspoon from Colorado — may end up being a fine player. Witherspoon is tall, smart and has potential as a starting cornerback. But the move John Lynch made on Friday that could end up paying dividends was a trade with the Saints. The GM sent pick No. 67, originally acquired Thursday night from the Bears, to New Orleans for a 2018 second-rounder. Thanks, Chicago.
That pick could eventually be used to obtain a franchise quarterback a year from now — or maybe sooner, if an opportunity arises. Whether that’s Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo, USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen or Wyoming’s Josh Allen, we don’t know for sure. One way or another, the 49ers have the assets to swing for the fences next offseason to get their guy. Kudos to Lynch for understanding that extra trade ammunition will make one of these scenarios possible. Kudos to Paraag Marathe for running the phones, computers and executing these trades. Because some day soon, they’ll matter big time.
“You see a guy that, especially when it’s a quarterback, if you believe that he’s going to be your guy and that’s who you want, you’ve got to go get him, whatever it takes,” Shanahan said last night, in regards to the trade Chicago made.
When Lynch and Shanahan were hired and started watching 49ers film together, they eventually decided this team was in desperate need of defensive talent. That’s why all three of their first picks were on that side of the ball — Solomon Thomas, Reuben Foster and Witherspoon. That’s a hopeful dominant defensive lineman, a ferocious linebacker and a rangy No. 2 cornerback to hold his own opposite of Rashard Robinson. If all three of these picks pan out, all of a sudden this defense will be up and running sooner than you think.
Shanahan joked with reporters after Thursday night’s press conference that he was antsy to take an offensive player — and they finally did with C.J. Beathard, a developmental quarterback similar to what the Redskins had years ago in Kirk Cousins. I had heard a tight end was in serious discussion today, but when it comes down to it, building block offensive players early in the draft are luxury items for a Shanahan coached team. He’s going to be able to squeeze production out your Garrett Celek’s, Tim Hightower’s and Aldrick Robinson’s of the world. He’s got a couple of diamonds in the rough up his sleeve from Saturday. Pierre Garcon, Brian Hoyer, Carlos Hyde and a decent offensive line are enough tools for Shanahan to score touchdowns next season. Kyle will wait his turn and he understands that. And maybe Beathard pans out one day.
For the 49ers, it’s more important in Year 1 and 2 to stockpile talent on defense. The quicker they’re able to build a bully on that side of the ball, the quicker this team will return to the playoffs. The Seattle scheme needs specific players to be successful. Shanahan has moved the football up and down the field with Rex Grossman and Brian Hoyer before. Even though there were some solid free agent acquisitions offense, the head coach completely understands this philosophy.
That doesn’t mean offense should totally be ignored. The 49ers sniffing a Super Bowl until they identify a franchise guy and we’ve all seen what Shanahan can do when he has a Julio Jones type of weapon.
The writing is on the wall for Cousins. He’s still the most likely option to sign a lucrative $120 million contract with San Francisco next offseason. Just in case the inevitable falls through — which seems to happen quite often in the NFL — the 49ers have give themselves options.
And in the mean time, 2017 just became a big year for the defense. The rebuilding of the 49ers could be ahead of schedule come April 2018. With an all-in strategy on that side of the football, they’ve given themselves a chance to start turning the corner in Year 1.