7 NFL Draft Prospects the 49ers Should Be Watching at the Combine

Draft season steps up a gear this week with the 2015 combine as the top prospects strut their stuff in front of NFL scouts and team officials in the hope of a possible boost in stock.

The 49ers have a number of needs in the draft and by this point their draft board should be pretty well set. However, the combine can help San Francisco get an even better idea of who it should be targeting to bolster the roster for the 2015 season.

For general manager Trent Baalke, this year's draft is arguably the biggest of his career following an offseason that has been a PR nightmare for the 49ers with the departure of head coach Jim Harbaugh and the appointment of Jim Tomsula as his replacement.

Baalke is in need of a strong draft that will significantly improve the Niners' talent level. While the importance of the combine is perhaps overstated for NFL organizations that track prospects throughout the college season, this week's events in Indianapolis can aid Baalke in zeroing in on those players who have the ability to make an immediate and significant difference to Tomsula's team.

Here I break down seven such players who the 49ers should be watching with particular interest.

Clive Walford

With the 49ers needing help at receiver, speedy wideout Phillip Dorsett is a player likely to be mentioned in connection to San Francisco in the predraft process, but former Miami Hurricane teammate and tight end Clive Walford may be a better fit for the Niner offense.

The lack of production from the tight end spot severely hurt the Niners in 2014, with Vernon Davis enduring a dreadful season in which he barely registered as a threat in the passing attack.

San Francisco has a dilemma over what to do with the ageing and occasionally disruptive Davis. But, regardless of his status going forward, the 49ers need to acquire another tight end in the offseason.

What made Davis' sharp decline last year all the more significant was that the Niners did not have another contributor at the position to help offset the impact of his struggles. In the past, San Francisco had excelled with Davis working in tandem with Delanie Walker, and finding somebody to succeed where Vance McDonald has so far failed in replacing Walker—now with the Tennessee Titans—should be high on Baalke's list of priorities.

A consistent playmaker who caught 44 balls for 676 yards and seven touchdowns in his last year with Miami, Walford fits the bill.

While not explosive or particularly fast, Walford—at 6'4" and 258 pounds—has the size and athleticism to cause matchup problems for opposing defenses and proved particularly effective at doing damage on seam routes and plays over the middle.

Perhaps Walford's biggest asset, however, is his versatility. He has been deployed in the slot and as an H-back as well as in-line and has demonstrated substantial improvement as a run-blocker, a trait that should appeal to a San Francisco team built for the ground game.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein believes Walford's stock should be high among teams looking to create matchup issues out of two tight end sets. But for a player with concerns over his speed and drops, how much San Francisco values him could well hinge on his efforts at the combine.

Malcom Brown

The 49ers are still in the dark as to whether Justin Smith will return to feature on a defensive line that lost Ray McDonald when he was released in December.

Even if Smith is back for a 15th NFL season, the Niners are unlikely to bet the farm on a 35-year-old and two young players in Tank Carradine and Quinton Dial, and will surely be keen to bring in some quality depth on the D-line.

San Francisco has long been strong in the trenches and cannot afford for that to change in an NFC West that houses four strong defenses. With that in mind, it makes sense for the Niners to pursue a defensive lineman in the early rounds of the draft.

And one player who has already been touted as a future 49er is Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown.

NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah has Brown going to the Niners with pick No. 15 in the first round and it is not difficult to see why. A versatile player with the ability to operate in a 4-3 or as a 3-4 end in a 5-technique, Brown earned consensus All-American honors after an impressive 2014 campaign in which he posted 69.0 tackles and 6.5 sacks.

With a great motor, powerful hands and a strong initial burst off the snap, Brown consistently made plays in the backfield in his time with the Longhorns, displaying quick feet, athleticism and the awareness to contribute as a pass-rusher and as a run defender. 

Brown does have issues surrounding the power in his lower body and his leg drive and has found it difficult when faced by double teams. He will need to improve in that area if he is taken by the 49ers, for whom Smith has long been key in soaking up double teams and opening up holes for pass-rusher Aldon Smith.

But Brown, as Jeremiah states, is a player who can be plugged in straight away on the defensive front. For the Niners, the combine could be key in deciding whether he is worth taking over the receivers and cornerbacks who should be available when they pick in the first round.

Hau'oli Kikaha

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

The 2015 draft class is particularly deep in terms of edge-rushers, but this year the 49ers are likely to be in need of a more complete prospect at the outside linebacker position.

San Francisco could lose Dan Skuta to free agency and will probably cut ties with Ahmad Brooks to save cap room. Those possible departures would leave the inexperienced Aaron Lynch and Corey Lemonier as the candidates to operate across from Aldon Smith in the Niners' base 3-4 defense.

An experienced free agent may be brought in to help rectify that situation; however, the Niners could benefit from using a late second- or third-round pick on Washington's Hau'oli Kikaha. 

Primarily a pass-rush specialist, Kikaha had 18 sacks in the regular season for the Huskies. While Zierlein indicates that he could be viewed as something of a one-trick pony, the Hawaii native was regularly moved around on defense and often dropped back into coverage when defending the pass.

Kikaha's strength and power and ability to use those traits to put up consistent numbers should be of great appeal to a number of NFL teams, although he does need to improve in the run game and will be pressed by scouts at the combine over the two previous ACL injuries he has suffered in his career.

The combine is the perfect stage for Kikaha to show NFL teams that those medical issues are behind him. And the Niners need to keep a close eye on a player who figures to make an instant impact as an edge-rusher but has the attributes to develop into a complete overall player at the next level.

Jay Ajayi

Frank Gore's future with the 49ers remains up in the air and, as a result, there is once again a need for the team to look at recruiting a running back in the draft.

B/R's Matt Miller does not believe Gore will be back with the Niners next season, leaving San Francisco with a relatively big hole to fill in its backfield. Of course the 49ers already have their Gore replacement in the form of 2014 second-round pick Carlos Hyde. However, with Kendall Hunter having suffered an ACL injury in training camp last year, it would be a wise move to acquire an insurance policy at the tailback spot.

Hyde is the archetypal power back who will run over defenders to make big gains. The Niners require a secondary option to complement the former Ohio State Buckeye, though. Had his career not been brought to an early end by injury, Marcus Lattimore would likely have been the guy to give the 49ers another look out of the backfield.

Thankfully for the Niners, the 2015 class is strong at the running back position and one player who could fill the role Lattimore may have been designated is Boise State's Jay Ajayi.

An incredibly elusive runner with quick feet, vision and the ability to catch passes out of the backfield, Ajayi proved a nightmare for opposing defenses in his final season with the Broncos, racking up 2,358 yards from scrimmage and 32 total touchdowns.

Ajayi is not known for breaking tackles and his lack of power has too often led him to bounce runs to the outside rather than attempt to make the hard yards inside. Ball security has also been an issue for Ajayi, who admitted to the Idaho Statesman that he was close to being dismissed from the Boise State program following an arrest for shoplifting in 2011.

The off-the-field problems and a knee injury suffered a week after his arrest will leave Ajayi with plenty of questions to answer at the combine. And, with the sun perhaps setting on the Frank Gore era in San Francisco, the 49ers figure to be interested spectators of Ajayi's workouts in Indianapolis.

Devin Funchess

Tony Ding/Associated Press

With the Niners' top receiver a 34-year-old Anquan Boldin, and Michael Crabtree likely on his way out of San Francisco, wideout is by far their top need in the draft.

For too long the 49ers have lacked a deep threat who can stretch the field and make big plays in the passing game. However, they are in a perfect position to land such a player from a decent receiving class in the middle of the first round. 

And one wideout who the Niners should keep a close eye on at the combine is Michigan's Devin Funchess.

Funchess moved over from tight end to wide receiver for his final year with the Wolverines and was effective in doing so, recording 62 receptions for 733 yards and four touchdowns. A complete mismatch for most defenders, what sets Funchess apart is his size. At 6'5" and 230 pounds, he is a significant red-zone and downfield target who can win against press coverage and make leaping catches.

Although he does have strong hands, Funchess has previously displayed a tendency to drop catches in his time with Michigan. That aspect of his game, along with a very apparent lack of a second gear, figure to come under scrutiny at the Combine.

Despite those shortcomings, Funchess is a versatile and dangerous offensive weapon who can line up outside, in the slot and as an in-line tight end. And, for a 49er team whose offense was dreadfully predictable and ineffective in 2014, San Francisco would be best served to pay much attention to a playmaker of Funchess' abilities.

Kevin White

The 49ers may potentially be in position to land arguably the top receiver in the draft in West Virginia's Kevin White. However, they could also boost their secondary with the addition of a TCU cornerback by the same name.

A diminutive defender at 5'10" and 174 pounds, White generated plenty of buzz with a strong week at the Senior Bowl, with NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock comparing him to former Horned Frogs teammate Jason Verrett, who was drafted in the first round by the San Diego Chargers last year.

White is not expected to go as high but has the ability to develop into a solid corner at the pro level and should be of great interest to a 49er team that could lose two of their better corners from the 2014 season, Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox, to free agency.

The Niners should look to add to the secondary regardless of whether either come back in 2015, and in White they could get a steal in the middle rounds of the draft.

Despite his of lack of size, White has proven adept at covering an opponent's top receiver on the outside, displaying quick, fluid hips, impressive ball skills and the willingness to use his hands and get aggressive to break up routes.

Still, his small frame is likely to be taken advantage of by the best and biggest NFL receivers. White, who does not have elite speed and has too often allowed receivers to get inside position, will need to improve in order to serve as an effective slot corner at the next level.

Those deficiencies aside, White is a corner whose stock has been on the rise in recent weeks, and the 49ers need to focus keenly on the workouts of a player who has the skills in coverage to improve a defense that ranked at No. 5 against the pass in 2014.

Dorial Green-Beckham

David Goldman/Associated Press

It would be impossible to end this list without focusing on Dorial Green-Beckham.

Few players have more riding on the combine than Green-Beckham, who has the chance to show NFL teams that his year away from competitive football has not negatively impacted his significant talents as a wide receiver.

Had he not been dismissed from the Missouri Tigers football program and then forced to sit out his final collegiate season after transferring to the Oklahoma Sooners, Green-Beckham would undoubtedly be viewed as a top-10 pick with the potential to go in the top five.

But as it is, the 6'6" and 255-pound Green-Beckham has arguably the most to win or lose in Indianapolis despite his incredible catch radius, leaping ability and overall athleticism.

The interviews will undoubtedly play a massive role in determining Green-Beckham's NFL future. But, in addition to addressing his character concerns, the 21-year-old will also need to deliver in the workouts to try to allay concerns over other shortcomings such as his struggles against press coverage and undisciplined route running.

San Francisco has had to deal with a plethora of off-the-field difficulties involving its players in recent times and will be wary of adding another potential headache in Green-Beckham. However, the talent is still too much to ignore and the Niners should be one of many teams keeping a keen eye on this controversial prospect at Lucas Oil Stadium.

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