San Francisco 49ers Mock Draft: Best Case and Worst Case 7-Round Scenarios

Every draft becomes an if-then scenario.

There’s no predicting what the teams will do. Fans, players, agents and even the front office personnel of every team try to guess what’s going to happen, but few drafts play out as expected. It still comes down to calling the name on the podium. 

For example, the Niners appeared to drool over last year’s top cornerback, Patrick Peterson of LSU. Alas, Arizona picked him one spot ahead of the Niners, who had the seventh pick. Aldon Smith became San Francisco's selection, and it’s safe to say that both teams are happy with the way it turned out. That’s not always the case.

Five weeks before the 2012 draft, the 49ers have definite needs at wide receiver and offensive line. They have secured most of their defensive free agents but have lost guard Adam Snyder, receiver Joshua Morgan and special teams star Blake Costanzo.

As general manager Trent Baalke and the team’s front office staff prepare for the draft, here’s a rundown of the best case-worst case scenarios in every round.

1st Round

Best Case: Michael Floyd, the Notre Dame receiver, falls to No. 30 due to a run on defensive tackles and offensive linemen. The Niners get Floyd for late first-round money and he becomes an immediate starter.

Worst Case: A run on wide receivers and offensive linemen have left the Niners lacking options.

The best receivers are gone as is offensive guard Cordy Glenn of Georgia, a talented three-year starter who can fit right in for the departed Adam Snyder.

With the clock running, Baalke has to guess whether a player like Dwight Jones of North Carolina, who appears more like a second- or third-round player, is worth the first-round selection. The same can be said of LSU’s Rueben Randle. Neither seems worth first-round money and there’s no guarantee that they can step right and start.

It’s how many teams ending up “reaching” for a player, which is hardly a guarantee of success in the NFL.

2nd Round

Best Case: Coby Fleener, the tight end out of Stanford, remains on the board. The Niners package their second, a third and a fifth to move up, say, 20 spots to take the 6’5” Fleener, whose speed and good hands make him an immediate impact player for the Niners.

Worst Case: The Niners package those picks to get the No. 52, pick in draft, a 10-spot move up. With Fleener right there, the Chicago Bears, picking No. 51, take Fleener. That leaves Baalke scrambling for a fill-in, such as Amini Silatolu, a 6’4” offensive guard out of Division II Midwestern State.

He could be a good player and even start, but with Fleener so close it ends up a disappointment.

3rd Round

Best Case: Chris Polk, the running back out of Washington, remains on the board. Baalke knows that he needs more from the position in light of how Frank Gore wore down at the end of the season. As the No. 93 pick in the draft, Polk, a fast and a good pass receiver, becomes a vital part of the improved SF offense.

Worst Case: Looking for more offensive help or perhaps a cornerback who can excel in press coverage, Baalke finds the options limited. Polk is gone, as is LaMichael James of Oregon and even Robert Turbin, the RB out of Utah.

His sleeper pick, CB Trumaine Johnson, also has been selected, leaving the Niners with the idea of drafting another receiver, such as Chris Givens of Wake Forest (6’0", 180 lbs), an undersized but good player who doesn’t seem to have the power and speed to become an immediate impact player.

4th Round

Best Case: He’s 6’2” and weighs 210 pounds. He’s got long arms and he can run. What’s more, he wants to be here, so Baalke selects Trumaine Johnson, the CB out of Montana. Just like that, the Niner pass defense gets a little stickier. Johnson can make the quarterback hold the ball just a little longer, and that means more time for the Niner defensive front to record another sack.

Worst Case: Desperate for more receiver help, Baalke looks over the remaining players and selects Keshawn Martin out of Michigan State. He’s 6’0" and 180 pounds and may even develop into a serviceable player but the Niners already have one of these. His name is Kyle Williams.

5th Round

Best Case: Robert Turbin of Utah becomes the man. At 216 pounds, he has the mass to move piles to go along with a good first step. He gives the Niners that inside breakaway threat that at times Frank Gore lacked at the end of the season.

Worst Case: Baalke likes to look for strong safeties because they fit so many roles: pass defense, run support and all special teams. Colin Jones, drafted in 2011, embodies that ethos but this time Baalke strays from that scenario to draft Tyler Horn of Miami-Ohio. Niner fans say, “Who?”

6th Round

Best Case: Josh Kaddu, a speed-freak diamond-in-the-rough inside linebacker from Oregon, falls into SF’s lap. The Niners get an athletic player with huge upside who can learn inside and outside LB positions from some of the best players in the game. He’s another addition to a stout defense.

Worst Case: The Niners believe that the magic of Miami Hurricanes still exists and they select LB Sean Spence. He’s meant as a backup to Willis and Bowman on the inside but he’s too small (5’11”) for the position.

7th Round

Best Case: With an eye to the future or perhaps just a whim, the Niners select a quarterback: Patrick Witt of Yale. He’s 6’3” and 220 and has the arm to make NFL throws. Alex Smith has the moxie to lead the team. Backup Colin Kaepernick is still learning the game but has better feet and more speed. But Witt has the arm that makes receivers drool.

Worst Case: Patrick Witt out of Yale. He seems like a throw-in at the end, and it turns out that his great camp and performance in preseason games creates a three-way quarterback controversy. And imagine how third-string QB Scott Tolzien feels. Drama in SF.