DE Eli Harold to 49ers: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

The San Francisco 49ers continued to reinforce their defense by selecting Virginia defensive end Eli Harold in Round 3 of the 2015 NFL draft.

Harold is a bona fide pass-rushing threat. Over three seasons at Virginia, the 6'3", 247-pound end amassed 17.5 sacks and 36.5 tackles for a loss. He'll likely convert to outside linebacker at the NFL level and is perfect for a 3-4 scheme, per NFL Network's coverage of the draft.

Year	Solo Tackles	Total Tackles	Tackles/Loss	Sacks
2012	12	36	7.0	2.0
2013	34	51	15.0	8.5
2014	29	54	14.5	7.0
Total	75	141	36.5	17.5

Comparing Harold to Ezekiel Ansah of the Detroit Lions, CBS Sports' Dane Brugler noted:

"

Quick starter out of his stance with burst and long-striding acceleration. Launches himself like a track athlete from his three point stance, keeping his pad level low with proper leverage. Agile feet to sidestep blockers in space and terrific speed in pursuit to chase down ballcarriers. The motor never quits, always going full-speed to the ball until the whistle.

"

Brugler says that Harold's downsides include a lack of run-stopping prowess. Harold also struggles in physical contact, per Brugler, and needs to avoid contact rather than bull-rushing through it.

Fortunately, Harold's pass-rushing abilities shouldn't require much work.

San Francisco's pass rush was an aspect that needed some help after 2014. The 49ers had 36 sacks, which ranked No. 21 in the league.

Part of the reason was that the 49ers were without linebacker Aldon Smith for nine games as he served an NFL-mandated suspension. In his wake, San Francisco experimented with outside linebackers Aaron Lynch, Dan Skuta and Ahmad Brooks.

"

Harold ran a 4.6 40, compared to Aldon’s 4.78

— Kyle McLorg (@Kyle_McLorgBASG) May 2, 2015"

Skuta is gone, and second-year pro Lynch is likely the more prominent piece in San Francisco's future plans.

Harold's signing likely means another demotion and vote of no confidence in third-year pro linebacker Corey Lemonier. Lemonier had only been able to post one sack over 32 games played, despite being a third-round pick in 2013.

The 49ers might be comfortable moving on from Lemonier and Brooks entering 2015. Additionally, the drafting of Harold provides needed insurance for Smith.

Smith enters a contract year this season, and his off-the-field issues are enough to warrant concern for a likable depth option.

Regardless, NFL teams can never have too many pass-rushers. 

Harold fits the bill and should be a solid addition to a reinforced 49ers defense.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated. Supplemental draft information courtesy of CBS Sports.

Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Be sure to check out his entire archive on 49ers news, insight and analysis.

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