On-Air Now
On-Air Now
Listen Live from the Casino Matrix Studio

Best 49ers draft fit at (almost) every position

By

Jacob Hutchinson

/

© Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

In an ideal world, the 49ers could and would draft the best player available, but that doesn’t happen. This list isn’t just best fit irrespective of draft selection.

This incorporates needs and where the 49ers could draft if and when they trade down. So quarterback and running back, for example, are only ever going to be late-round picks. Some positions, like EDGE, are a little more nebulous. Do the 49ers need another edge rusher? Maybe, but it probably won’t be in the first three rounds, hence why the best draft fit isn’t Chase Young, who obviously won’t be there when the 49ers are drafting.

QB: James Morgan, FIU

Morgan may be available late, though considering how many people view him as a sleeper, he may actually be much higher on team’s draft boards. He had a poor senior season, in large part due to an ankle and MCL injury. Here was my breakdown of Morgan from KNBR’s Mock Draft 2.0:

The 49ers have shot down every Nick Mullens trade proposal, but interviewed projected undrafted quarterback Mason Fine out of North Texas. To me, that screams that the 49ers are looking for someone to replace C.J. Beathard and either be the next long-term backup and successor to Jimmy Garoppolo so the team can trade Mullens, or backup to Mullens, if he’s in the plans to replace Garoppolo. The 49ers reportedly shot down all offers for Mullens, which is smart, given that their other backup is C.J. Beathard, who has zero trade value and is not a competent quarterback.

Morgan, however, is. He’s got a laser of an arm, which sometimes comes with drawbacks when he goes downfield, coupled with some questionable second-level decision-making, but has also resulted in the spectacular. I believe he’ll be one of the best quarterbacks in the draft based on his ability to read the field, move out of the pocket if necessary and nail intermediate-range throws. I had the opportunity to see him in person at the NFL Combine, and, granted in a terrible second group of quarterbacks, he looked better than everyone else, with Jordan Love the only other competitor. His main concerns are his regression in his senior season (2,585 yards, 58.0 completion percentage, 14 TD, 5 INT) after a stellar junior year (2,727 yards, 65.3 completion percentage, 26 TD, 7 INT), which is why he’s available here.

RB: Joshua Kelley, RB, UCLA

Kelley had one of the worst offensive lines in college football, at least in the Pac-12, at UCLA. But when he had a hole, he did the thing Kyle Shanahan loves most: ran through it at full speed. He was also patient on outside zone runs like Raheem Mostert is and was forced to catch option laterals and receive passes frequently, proving his capable hands. He’s a strong, willing blocker with straight-line speed and plenty of wiggle, projected to go at earliest in the late fourth round and through the sixth round. He’s quite similar to Tevin Coleman. The main drawback is that running back is maybe lowest on the 49ers’ list of needs, and Kelley would probably necessitate a fifth. He did, however, rush for more than 1,060 yards and exactly 12 TDs in back-to-back seasons.

FB: Dalton Keene, Virginia Tech

The 49ers don’t need a fullback, but given that they haven’t initiated new contract discussions with Kyle Juszczyk, they could be looking for a future replacement, given how expensive Juszczyk is. Keene has elite athleticism at the tight end position, and is the ideal H-back. He could be a No. 2 for George Kittle, and/or Juszczyk’s understudy. He might be my favorite player in this draft and I cannot stop mocking him to the 49ers, who met with him at the NFL Combine. From our tight end prospect roundup:

49ers fit: If Keene stayed another year and splits out to tight end, he might have found himself in contention for the first three rounds. He’s that good. How he’s mocked to go undrafted is beyond me. Arguably the best blocking tight end in the draft, especially as a zone run fit, with tremendous physical talents and versatility, having spent his career as an H-back (hence the lack of college production), he could theoretically be Kyle Juszczyk’s replacement at fullback, and clearly has the capabilities to be the No. 2 name in the tight end room. His yards-after-catch ability and Combine stats are very Kittle-ey. Also grew up in Littleton, Colorado, outside of Denver — run game coordinator Mike McDaniel grew up in Aurora, another Denver suburb.

WR: CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma

Lamb does just about everything extraordinarily well. He has elite game speed, fantastic hands (has had some issues with concentration drops) and the best body control and ability to attack 50/50 balls in the class. His route running and footwork weren’t able to be shown consistently thanks to Oklahoma’s gimmicky wide receiver routes, but he showed that he had the best footwork out of anyone in his group at the Combine. He’s a yards-after-catch nightmare and absolutely loves to block. He’s the perfect X receiver to complement Deebo Samuel. Having seen him in person in Indianapolis, I have zero doubt that he will be a stud wide receiver for a long time. If he’s not available, Brandon Aiyuk of Arizona State provides a perfect outside threat at pick 31, and has many of the same skills and tools as Emmanuel Sanders did.

TE: Devin Asiasi, UCLA

There are about six tight ends I love in this draft, and Asiasi, along with Keene, is one of them. After Cole Kmet, Adam Trautman, Harrison Bryant and Keene, Asiasi is there. He’s athletic, crafty with his route running, with solid hands, and the potential to become a much better blocker. Theoretically strength is a concern (16 bench press reps), but all I look for with tight ends is effort, because being around George Kittle (18 reps at the Combine) and Jon Embree will turn any tight end into a stronger, willing blocker.

From KNBR’s Mock Draft 1.0:

If Asiasi hangs around until Round 4, I think the 49ers would be remiss if they failed to move up to get him. He is a gifted route-runner with well above-average athleticism at his size (ran a 4.73 40-yard dash). The biggest knock on him is his blocking inconsistency, but he has the strength and willingness to improve there, as he spoke to at the Combine. That’s not to say he’s a poor blocker; he has generally solid hand placement and body positioning, but he could use some polish and improved drive. In a tight end room with George Kittle and tight end coach Jon Embree, blocking will be stressed above all else. Kyle Shanahan took a look at Austin Hooper this offseason; Asiasi could be the long-term Kittle partner he’s looking for.

OT: Ben Bartch, St. John’s

This is the one position I’ve admittedly spent the least amount of time watching tape on. I don’t expect any of the top four tackles to be available at No. 13, nor would I expect the 49ers to draft a tackle if they were available (perfect trade-down opportunity). Wide receiver, corner and defensive line are all higher priority and while there is the “draft best available” school of thought, you have to account for positional need.

I think the 49ers’ range for drafting a potential tackle would be from that 31st pick through the fourth round (why draft another tackle unless he’s going to be a clear upgrade over Justin Skule and Shon Coleman?), unless they’re absolutely sure Joe Staley won’t return next season.

Bartch is a Division IIII guy who will understandably drop because of the level of competition he went against. Picking him allows the 49ers to maximize value for a guy whose technique, agility and strength looks like it would have translated to any level. He processes quickly and is able to adjust without showing his hands too early. He did what he should have done with his competition, which is flatten them on run plays and keep his quarterback off the ground.

The knocks on him are that he doesn’t lack ideal arm length, and can struggle when players get into his chest, in large part due to lower body strength. As a developmental prospect, these are things the 49ers can work on with him with as a mid-late third-round pick. The video above is him absolutely ruining my alma mater, Chapman University, in the second round of the NCAA playoffs.

C/G: Lloyd Cushenberry, LSU

I’m grouping these positions together because I don’t think it’s prudent for the 49ers to draft an out-and-out guard. It makes more sense to go for a guy who can start at guard and transition to center when Weston Richburg’s contract becomes more cuttable. Cushenberry is my favorite player in this draft, although Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz is almost as enticing. As a source told me, (and I’ve used this quote multiple times because it shows up on tape) Cushenberry is “athletic as shit.” In Kyle Shanahan’s run-heavy zone blocking scheme, Cushenberry could add significant value.

Here’s the excerpt on Cushenberry from KNBR’s Mock Draft 2.0:

Some folks have Cushenberry as far back as the third round, which seems absurd. He wore No. 18 for LSU, a prestigious honor given to the player that best represents what it means to be an LSU football player, and was an absolute tour de force throughout the team’s title-winning season and in the Senior Bowl, where he stuffed Javon Kinlaw in one-on-ones. As one source described Cushenberry to me at the NFL Combine, he’s “athletic as shit.” He can start for the 49ers at guard for a year or two, and eventually become the team’s long-term center option after Weston Richburg and his bloated contract depart. Linemen aren’t typically viewed as offensive weapons, but Cushenberry is.

DE: James Smith-Williams, NC State

I have a hard time believing the 49ers are going to go for another edge rusher in the first three rounds of this draft, so I’m assessing options later on day three. When you’re looking for players that late, you’re either going to find production issues with athletic upside, or production, but a lack of athletic prowess, and in both scenarios, technical deficiencies.

I went with the latter, an athlete, in tandem with tape. D.J. Wonnum from South Carolina is clearly the best athlete at this point in the draft, but his tape is horrendous. He’s upright, weak, and has zero plan as an edge rusher. Smith-Williams, however, is athletic with a great speed-to-power rush. His issue is health, play recognition and technique. He only played one full season at NC State due to three season-ending injuries and a foot injury in his senior season. In his only full season, his junior year, he had a career-high 6.0 sacks and 36 tackles, 9.0 of which were for a loss, along with 2 PBUs, a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

DT: Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina

Kinlaw is a far better athlete than Auburn’s Derrick Brown, who I get bust vibes from (he’s very strong, and I think will be a serviceable nose tackle, but he’s all power, with no lateral ability), but he’s raw. Still, he’ll cause problems for opposing offensive lines based on his explosiveness alone. From KNBR’s defensive tackle breakdown:

Pros: Has the most explosive get-off in the draft, and will wreak havok on every passing down. If isolated, he will likely force the quarterback out of the pocket. Uses club, rip and swipe moves to get by and necessitates double teams on every down.

Cons: His awareness is poor and he gets tangled up with offensive linemen far too often. Needs to be far better on run downs, in terms of following the play and re-positioning his eyes to track the quarterback and running back. He has a high motor, but when a pass or run play leaves the pocket, he looks gassed or unable to track back.

49ers fit: Probably be a better fit for the 49ers than Brown in terms of allowing Armstead to move around, and create dynamic pocket pressure on the interior. In terms of pass-rush pressure, he’s the best San Francisco will be able to find in the draft. Very raw, and will only improve, said he’s looking for the right coaching (CC: Kris Kocurek).

Two semi-sleeper picks here? A.J. Epenesa, Iowa, who has the frame and lack of pure outside athleticism on the outside, but the raw strength and track record to potentially convert to a 3-technique. He’s been an option at pick 31, where there are size and athleticism concerns about other prospects like Ross Blacklock and Neville Gallimore. If the 49ers leave a defensive tackle pick to the late rounds, Tyler Clark from Georgia, who never loses ground and was a leader on the interior of the nation’s best run defense, would be a great value option.

LB: Justin Strnad, Wake Forest

The 49ers have three starting-caliber linebackers, so the value here is in finding an athletic, special teams option who could project to be a starter. Strnad is at least that. From KNBR’s Mock Draft 1.0:

If he went to a larger school, Strnad might be a Day 2 pick. He’s intelligent, athletic and couples his rapid closing speed with adroit tackling form that stays and finishes low. As demonstrated above, he packs a wallop. Using this Jets pick on another linebacker provides comfort in a team that only really needs five, but can’t be sure how much damage Kwon Alexander did to himself last season (torn pectoral and bicep). He would be an immediate special teams option and allow the 49ers to potentially go with all youth in the linebacker room and save about $800k by cutting Mark Nzeocha.

CB: Bryce Hall, Virginia

I view Hall as a perfect scheme fit in the 49ers defense, but I’m high on him independent of that due to his elite tracking ability and smart physicality. I have mocked him to the 49ers in both mock drafts. I don’t think C.J. Henderson will be available, and I expect the 49ers to trade back twice, and acquire a mid-to-late second round pick, which is a perfect place for Hall to land. From KNBR’s Mock Draft 2.0:

Noah Igbinoghene and Trevon Diggs are other candidate here, but the Hall has far better size and a proven track record than both, and in a Tampa-2 scheme at Virginia which would allow him to fit into the 49ers’ defense seamlessly. He has the technical and athletic ability (footwork, hip-flipping quickness, aggressive hands and ball-tracking) to make for an elite corner, with much of his criticism coming from a lack of elite speed and man-to-man ability (remember Richard Sherman?). The main reason he’s not talked about as a first-round candidate is because of a season-ending ankle injury. He was viewed as a first-round prospect heading into last season, and teams like the 49ers don’t make their selection based on our mock drafts.

S: Josh Metellus, Michigan

There’s no free safety pick here because I don’t think the 49ers will select a free safety. They re-signed Jimmie Ward for three years (cuttable after year 2) and spent a 3rd round pick on Tarvarius Moore. Unless they view Moore as capable of converting to strong safety, they’re going to draft a backup or potential replacement for Jaquiski Tartt. Based on their interviews, it would seem like the latter. It’s hard to find terrific value late on safeties, as the 49ers have found out, in drafting coverage-deficient, but run-stopping options like Adrian Colbert and Marcell Harris in back-to-back seasons.

Metellus is a very good athlete, and most importantly, uses that athleticism to close down rushing lanes with speed and doesn’t shoulder tackle like a lot of safeties. He’s got wrap-up and consistent form. Like Colbert and Harris, has some question marks in coverage, a result of questionable eye positioning. Difficult to tell whether that’s a result of poor coaching or poor play. Still, he plays less recklessly than either of those two and had a statistically impressive coverage season in his junior year.

Newsletter
Advertise with us