49ers: Boom-or-Bust Prospects San Francisco Should Gamble on in NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers have a lot of experience taking gambles in the draft.

Last year, the Niners took a chance on inside linebacker Chris Borland, viewed as too small (5'11") and not athletic enough to make it in the pros, and outside backer Aaron Lynch, who entered the league with significant character concerns, and saw both picks reap rewards. Borland finished the season with 108 tackles and two interceptions while Lynch recorded six sacks in his maiden year in the league.

By the same token, San Francisco has taken chances that have not paid off, with 2012 first-round pick A.J. Jenkins, deemed a reach by many observers, traded to the Kansas City Chiefs after failing to make a significant impression. Additionally, 2013 fourth-round pick Marcus Lattimore was never able to complete his recovery from a devastating knee injury suffered at South Carolina.

Heading into the 2015 draft, the Niners have plenty of needs to address, particularly at the wide receiver and cornerback positions and on the defensive line, and will be looking to replenish their roster by finding both quality and value with the nine picks they have this year.

The 2015 class is once again well-stocked with prospects who will occupy varying positions on NFL draft boards due to a number of factors such as off-field problems, injuries or doubts over other aspects including physical stature and athleticism but have the potential to make the grade at the next level. 

Here I break down which of those boom-or-bust players San Francisco should be considering when it makes its selections in Chicago.

Dorial Green-Beckham

An almost indefensible player with the potential to become one of the top receivers in the NFL, Dorial Green-Beckham is arguably the ultimate boom-or-bust prospect in the 2015 draft.

The personal problems surrounding Green-Beckham are well documented. He was dismissed from the Missouri Tigers football program in April of last year after allegedly pushing a student down the stairs, which, per ESPN's Edward Aschoff, followed multiple offenses involving marijuana.

Green-Beckham then transferred to Oklahoma but never saw the field for the Sooners, with the NCAA rejecting a request to waive a condition forcing the wideout to sit out his first season in Norman.

Despite his personal problems and the fact he has not played football since the 2013 season, Green-Beckham is still regarded as one of the top receivers in the 2015 class. Watching his film, it is not difficult to see why.

An imposing physical specimen at 6'5" and 255 pounds, Green-Beckham is a complete mismatch for defenders due to his ability to leap and high-point the ball on jump throws and box out opponents on routes over the middle.

With his athleticism and combination of speed and power, Green-Beckham is a player with the tools to make yards after the catch on short-to-medium routes and serve as a significant deep threat for a 49ers passing game that found it difficult to stretch the field during the 2014 season and is likely to lose Michael Crabtree to free agency in the offseason.

In terms of his on-field attributes, Green-Beckham appears to be a can't-miss prospect; however, heading into the pros after a year on the sidelines figures to be a tricky transition for the 21-year-old.

The 49ers will also be wary of Green-Beckham's history of misdemeanors following a campaign in which they were without Aldon Smith for nine games due to a suspension and released Ray McDonald after allegations of sexual assault.

Green-Beckham comes with substantial baggage, and the worry is that his behavior away from the game will continue to be a problem in the pros. However, his physical gifts and potential to transform San Francisco's passing attack should far outweigh those concerns and make him a risk worth taking.

Marcus Peters

Just like Green-Beckham, Washington cornerback Marcus Peters is a player whose draft stock will depend on how teams view his undoubted playmaking skills against his off-field transgressions.

A second-team All-American in 2013, Peters enjoyed a largely excellent career with the Huskies, racking up 11 interceptions and 27 pass deflections before being kicked off the team in November following repeated clashes with his coaching staff at Washington.

Regardless of his apparent inability to coexist with his collegiate coaches, Peters is viewed as one of the top corners in the class, with CBS Sports grading him as a first-to-second-round pick, and possesses the attributes to boost a secondary that could lose Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox in free agency.

Both Culliver and Cox were strong performers for a defense that ranked No. 5 against the pass in 2014, per NFL.com, yet Peters—with his impressive athleticism and aggressive style of play—has the tools to develop into the Niners' top corner and give them a shutdown presence on the outside.

An intelligent defender, Peters exceeds in play recognition and has consistently demonstrated great ball skills. Furthermore, in spite of their differences, Washington head coach Chris Petersen has promised to give him a positive recommendation when the NFL scouts come calling, per ESPN:

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We want to help him move on and be positive from here, and so we'll do whatever we can to help that happen. Marcus has got a lot of skill. I really do hope that he has a really good NFL career, there's no doubt about that. And I think he can and we wish him a lot of luck going in that direction.

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Petersen's approval could be a boost to Peters' standing among pro teams, but there will continue to be questions over his acrimonious departure from the Huskies and supposed immaturity, which may well derail his NFL career if it does not improve.

In that sense, though, San Francisco is arguably the ideal destination for him. Jim Tomsula is a player's coach well-liked by those already in the 49ers locker room, and it is worth an early-round pick to see if their new top man can get the most out of this excellent if slightly troubled talent.

Joey Mbu

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The 49ers have traditionally been strong on the defensive line, but they've entered the offseason in need of reinforcements up front.

San Francisco still does not know whether Justin Smith will return for another season and, with the 14-year veteran now 35, the Niners need to add depth to the D-line even if he decides to come back for the 2015 campaign.

And one player who projects as a strong fit for the 49ers' 3-4 defense is Houston Cougars defensive tackle Joey Mbu. 

A first-team All-American Athletic Conference pick, Mbu has the ideal build for a 3-4 run-stuffing defensive end at 6'3" and 312 pounds with 34.5-inch arms and was eye-catching during the Senior Bowl, according to CBSSports' Rob Rang.

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Mbu was consistently able to stack and shed blockers at the point of attack to stuff running lanes. Mbu does not possess great quickness and therefore offers little as a pass rusher, but his length and strength could make him an intriguing candidate for 3-4 clubs looking for help at defensive end or perhaps even slide Mbu inside as a developmental nose guard.

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The statistics from his senior season (31 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks) do not make for strong reading. However, these are heavily impacted by the fact that Mbu regularly drew double-teams from blockers.

His ability to soak up blockers and open holes for pass-rushers such as Aldon Smith and Aaron Lynch, which Justin Smith has done consistently for the 49ers, should appeal to San Francisco. But there are a number of reasons why spending a mid-round pick on Mbu could go badly for the Niners.

Rang points out that Mbu allows his pad level to rise as he tires, creating concerns over his conditioning, and also mentioned his fluctuating weight, which has reached as high as 350 pounds, as another issue teams will need to keep an eye on.

Mbu's struggles as a pass-rusher and fitness worries could well see him flop for a 49ers team that has been used to seeing Justin Smith and McDonald make plays against the run and the pass on a consistent basis.

Still, Mbu is an intriguing developmental prospect who is good enough to make an instant impact as a run-stopper and, with former defensive line coach Tomsula at the helm, is certainly worth a shot for the 49ers.

Ty Montgomery

As alluded too earlier, depth at the wide receiver position figures to be a serious concern for the 49ers in the offseason.

In addition to likely losing Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd, who failed to impress after being given a one-year contract to return to the Bay, to free agency, the Niners may also look to make salary-cap savings by cutting ties with Stevie Johnson, the former Buffalo Bill set to earn $5.5 million in 2015, according to Rotoword.

It is therefore plausible to suggest that San Francisco will look to acquire more than one wideout in the draft, and the Niners may not need to look far to find another versatile and exciting weapon for their offense in the form of Stanford receiver Ty Montgomery.

An explosive and well-built athlete, Montgomery has the raw pace to surge away from defenders and can make plays on vertical routes and on short-to-medium plays and screen passes.

Montgomery has also proved himself to be an impressive kick returner, finishing the 2013 season with over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 14 total touchdowns. However, the Dallas native failed to build on that campaign in 2014 before disappointing at the Senior Bowl, per Dane Brugler of NFLDraftScout.com.

According to Brugler, Montgomery was rigid in his routes and had issues with drops, a problem he displayed throughout an injury-hampered final year with the Cardinal.

Those same issues cannot persist if Montgomery wants to avoid becoming a bust at the highest level. Although, even if he does not succeed as a receiver, the 22-year-old's acceleration and skills as a return man should be enough for an NFL team to give him the opportunity to take the next step in the pros. 

Nick Marshall

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Following his switch to the defensive side of the ball, Nick Marshall has become one of the more interesting prospects in the 2015 draft.

Marshall announced his intention to enter the draft as a cornerback at the Senior Bowl after excelling as a dual-threat quarterback with the Auburn Tigers and registered five solo tackles in a performance that, according to AL.com, he viewed as a sign of improvement from his first practice on the defensive side of the ball in Mobile.

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I think I performed well. There's just a couple of things I've got to brush up on. I'm just going to work on them when I start back training Monday. I made a big jump from what I did the first day. I'm just going to watch film when I get back and see what I messed up on and just get better. I just have to prepare as a defensive back and do well at the combine.

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Having not played at corner since high school, there will naturally be significant concerns over Marshall's ability to handle the transition to the position at the highest level of the game. But Marshall has the ball skills, athleticism and agility to operate as a defensive back and could appeal to a 49ers team in need of more dynamic players in the secondary.

Indeed, B/R's Matt Miller has Marshall going to the Niners in the seventh round of the draft, and at that price, he would surely be worth the gamble.

Marshall may never make the grade as an NFL corner, and there is every chance a pick used on him could prove to be a wasted one. Teams will also want to quiz him about a citation for marijuana possession, but the rewards far outweigh the risk in using a late-round flier on this developmental project.

Nicholas McGee is a San Francisco 49ers Featured Columnist based in Leeds, England. Follow him on Twitter @nicholasmcgee24.