An in-Depth Look at 49ers' Most Intriguing Selection, OLB Eli Harold
The San Francisco 49ers focused on defense over the first three rounds of the 2015 NFL draft.
While the 49ers' first two picks—defensive end Arik Armstead and safety Jaquiski Tartt, respectively—may not provide an immediate impact at each of their positions given the team's depth there, San Francisco's third selection presents a tremendous boost in an area of need.
Outside linebacker Eli Harold was selected in third round at No. 79 overall.
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Harold was tabbed as a late first- or early second-round pick. He was also ranked as the No. 35 overall prospect in this year's draft class.
The 49ers were able to get him in the third round. It's hard to argue against the value with this particular selection.
Harold was a pass-rushing defensive end at Virginia who generated 17.5 sacks and 36.5 tackles for loss over three seasons prior to entering the draft before his senior year.
| 2012 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 7.0 | 2.0 |
| 2013 | 12 | 34 | 17 | 51 | 15.0 | 8.5 |
| 2014 | 12 | 29 | 25 | 54 | 14.5 | 7.0 |
| Total | 36 | 75 | 66 | 141 | 36.5 | 17.5 |
The 6'3", 247-pound prospect will switch over to outside linebacker in San Francisco's 3-4 defense.
While his physicality and never-ending motor are positive traits, CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler writes that Harold does have some specific attributes that he will need to work on at the NFL level:
"Lean and lanky build with average bulk and needs to develop his upper and lower body strength. Rushes too upright and needs to show more consistent bend. Average functional power and needs to more consistently avoid bodies near the line of scrimmage, too easily slowed by contact. Better pass rusher than run defender and needs to do a better job holding the edge. Hand technique needs work to better stack-and-shed and untie himself from blockers.
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Harold will need to add some muscle at the pro level—something that should be expected under the tutelage of head coach Jim Tomsula. Harold also needs to improve his efforts against the run in order to emerge as more than just a third-down pass-rusher.
But Harold's pass-rushing abilities are the reason why San Francisco felt so strongly about him.
In 2014, the 49ers posted just 36 sacks over the season—No. 21 in the league.
A significant reason why the defense's sack totals were so low was the elongated absence of linebacker Aldon Smith. He missed nine games in 2014 while serving an NFL-mandated suspension for off-the-field issues.
While the 49ers were able to get some semblance of pressure out of fellow linebackers Aaron Lynch and Ahmad Brooks (tied for the team lead in sacks with six), it's not hard to see that the lack of effective pressure on opposing quarterbacks was a problem.
Backup linebackers like Corey Lemonier, who has just one sack over two pro seasons, have yet to blossom as legitimate reserves.
According to Pro Football Focus, Harold ranked ninth out of all draft-eligible outside linebackers in 3-4 defenses last season.
Harold's fit within the 49ers' defensive scheme and his pass-rushing prowess make him a perfect fit. And it's not hard to see why.
In a game against Kent State, we see Harold lined up on the right of Virginia's line (yellow circle). He'll be pushed to the outside a bit—reinforcing the need to add bulk—but will quickly adjust to the rush:
Recognizing the exterior pressure from his front side (yellow arrow), Kent State's quarterback attempts to step up in the pocket. Despite being pushed off his initial route, Harold readjusts and keeps his motor running toward the pocket:
Harold brings his man down for the sack:
So how will Harold's skill set apply to the pros?
While in college, Harold admired Smith's pass-rushing abilities.
"I had a picture of Aldon Smith on my iPad and set on my background my freshman year at UVA," Harold said, via Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group. "I thought I had similarities to him."
Harold probably won't replace Smith on the depth chart this season, but he could surpass Lemonier in 2015 given the latter's pass-rushing struggles at the pro level.
Spotrac indicates that Smith is also entering a contract year in 2015, and there is no guarantee the 49ers will re-sign him after this year. Even if Smith has a phenomenal season, San Francisco's salary-cap situation may compel the 49ers to move on from Smith.
Harold also provides added insurance in case Smith runs into any more off-the-field troubles.
Meanwhile, Harold will likely be used as a situational pass-rusher during his rookie season. The snap count may increase depending on how fast he adjusts to the defense and life at the pro level.
Having additional pass-rushers is never a bad thing. Harold provides that.
Hopefully, his prowess only increases alongside the pass-rushing abilities of the 49ers in 2015.
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated. Draft information courtesy of CBSSports.com.
Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers.
Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.
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