San Francisco 49ers: Full 2016 Draft Guide and Preview
The good news: The San Francisco 49ers have 12 picks in the upcoming draft. Plenty of ammunition to reload the roster.
The not-so-good news: Only three of San Francisco’s picks are in the first three rounds. The Niners need top-shelf talent, and they’re shopping mostly in the bargain bin.
Of course, things could change. General manager Trent Baalke may trade some of San Francisco’s picks to move up in the draft, or he could trade for picks in 2017—picks he could use to acquire one of the top quarterbacks next year. Someone like Clemson’s Deshaun Watson.
We’re getting ahead of ourselves, though. This is San Francisco’s draft preview for 2016, not 2017.
Follow the slideshow to learn everything you need to know about the 49ers heading into the upcoming draft.
Draft Picks
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Draft picks
Round 1, pick No. 7 overall
Round 2, pick No. 37 overall
Round 3, pick No. 68 overall
Round 4, pick No. 105 overall
Round 4, pick No. 133 overall (compensatory)
Round 5, pick No. 142 overall (from San Diego)
Round 5, pick No. 145 overall
Round 5, pick No. 174 overall (compensatory)
Round 6, pick No. 178 overall
Round 6, pick No. 207 (from Denver)
Round 6, pick No. 211 (compensatory)
Round 6, pick No. 213 (compensatory)
What to know
1. The 49ers may draft yet another player who will spend his rookie season on the Injured Reserve List. “We’ve got 12 picks again, and you’re not going to have 12 draft picks make your team,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke told reporters on April 20. The Niners have taken 10 players the past three drafts who missed most or all of their rookie seasons.
2. Since 2011, the Niners have alternated between drafting a running back in Round 2 one year and drafting a running back in Round 4 the next year. In 2011, the Niners drafted Kendall Hunter in Round 4. In 2012, they drafted LaMichael James in Round 2. In 2013, they drafted Marcus Lattimore in Round 4. In 2014, they drafted Carlos Hyde in Round 2. And in 2015, they drafted Mike Davis in Round 4. If the pattern continues, this year the Niners will draft a running back in Round 2.
3. The Niners have spent a fourth-round pick on a wide receiver each of the past three drafts. In 2013, they took Quinton Patton, Bruce Ellington in 2014 and DeAndre Smelter last year. This could mean the 49ers will draft another wide receiver in Round 4, or this could mean the Niners have enough young receivers and should let them develop before spending a fourth-rounder on another one.
Top Needs
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These are the 49ers' top five needs.
1. Cornerback
The 49ers reportedly have pursued three of the top free agents on the market this offseason: Sean Smith, according to the San Francisco Chronicle; Casey Hayward, according to Niners Nation; and Josh Norman, according to the Sacramento Bee.
The Niners seem to be looking for someone they can plug in the lineup at cornerback opposite veteran Tramaine Brock. They’ll have to take a corner with a high pick if they want him to start right away.
2. Inside linebacker
The Niners’ top inside linebacker, NaVorro Bowman, is one of the best run-defenders in the league. But he was a liability in pass protection last season due to his surgically repaired knee.
The Niners’ other inside linebackers—Gerald Hodges and Michael Wilhoite—are fringe NFL starters who excel at nothing in particular. When the 49ers had a great defense, they had two great inside linebackers—Bowman and Patrick Willis. The Niners still are searching for Willis’ replacement.
3. Outside linebacker
Aaron Lynch is a quality pass rusher on the left side of the defense, but the 49ers need one on the right side to replace Aldon Smith, whom they cut during training camp last year.
Third-round pick Eli Harold might be able replace Smith, but the 22-year-old didn’t show much as a rookie last season. He’s a question mark. The Niners may want someone more talented than Harold to start across from Lynch.
4. Offensive tackle
The 49ers need a tackle to replace Anthony Davis, who retired in 2015 and has not filed for reinstatement with the league.
Rookie seventh-round pick Trent Brown played well at right tackle last season, but the 49ers still could look to upgrade this position. If they decide to draft a tackle with their first- or second-round pick, they could move Brown to guard, where he started six games for the University of Florida in 2014.
5. Quarterback
Colin Kaepernick’s agents have requested a trade, according to Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com, and Blaine Gabbert has just one year left on his contract. The 49ers have to draft a quarterback. The question is when?
If the 49ers manage to trade Kaepernick before the draft, then they have to replace him with a first- or second-round pick who can play right away. But if they don’t deal the 28-year-old, they can wait until Round 4 and draft a prospect to develop.
Top Targets
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These are the top two targets at each of the Niners’ top five areas of need.
Cornerback
1. Jalen Ramsey, Florida State: The best cornerback AND the best safety in the draft. The first few seasons for Ramsey’s career, he could play cornerback, and then move to free safety during his late 20s like 49ers Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott. The Niners probably would have to trade up as high as Pick 3 to get Ramsey.
2. William Jackson III, Houston: The Niners like big cornerbacks who excel in man coverage. So they probably will like Jackson, as opposed to Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III, who excels in zone coverage. Or Clemson’s Mackensie Alexander, who’s not so big—only 5'10". Jackson is 6'0", he ran a 4.37 at the Combine and intercepted five passes last season.
Inside linebacker
1. Darron Lee, Ohio State: Myles Jack would be No. 1, but he has a knee issue which could shorten his career, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com. Jack’s knee drops him behind Darron Lee, who is similar to Jack, minus the injury. Both Lee and Jack played 4-3 outside linebacker in college, both covered the slot and both can play 3-4 inside linebacker for the 49ers. Lee is 6'1", 232 pounds and ran a 4.47 at the combine. He could be the next Patrick Willis.
2. Myles Jack, UCLA: Jack may have been the top non-quarterback drafted if he hadn’t injured his knee. He can play 3-4 inside linebacker, 4-3 outside linebacker, strong safety, slot corner and running back—he’s that talented. But, he’s a risk the Niners may not want to take in Round 1.
Outside linebacker
1. Joey Bosa, Ohio State: Both the best edge-rusher and edge-setter in the draft. Bosa played 4-3 defensive end in college, but is more than athletic enough to play outside linebacker in the 49ers’ 3-4 defense. Bosa is 6'5", 269 pounds and runs a 4.77 40-yard dash. When the Niners drafted Aldon Smith in 2011, he was 6'4", 263 pounds and ran a 4.78.
2. Shaq Lawson, Clemson: Like Bosa, Lawson is terrific both against the run and the pass. He could start immediately at outside linebacker in the base defense and play defensive end in the sub-packages. Not many players in this draft could play both positions as rookies.
Offensive tackle
1. Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame: Most draft experts seem to prefer Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss, but the 49ers might rank Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley even higher. Stanley has quick feet and extra-long arms, and might be the only true left tackle in this draft.
2. Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss: Tunsil may not be as naturally gifted in pass protection as Stanley, but he is far superior in the running game. Tunsil probably is the best run-blocking offensive tackle in this draft. He could start at right tackle for the 49ers in 2016.
Quarterback
1. Carson Wentz, North Dakota State: The 49ers are a physical, run-first team, not a finesse, pass-first team. Cal’s Jared Goff is a finesse quarterback, so he doesn’t fit the 49ers. But North Dakota’s Carson Wentz does. He is a perfect fit. He’s a big, bruising runner who has a strong arm, and he’s smart.
2. Paxton Lynch, Memphis: Paxton Lynch may be even more physically gifted than Wentz. Lynch’s arm is stronger, he also throws with more touch, is more accurate, throws a better deep ball and is better under pressure than Wentz currently is. But according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Bob McGinn, some scouts seem to question Lynch’s “mental makeup.” Lynch scored an 18 on the Wonderlic, per McGinn, so he may take longer than the other quarterback prospects to learn an NFL playbook.
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The Latest Rumors
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These are the latest 49ers draft rumors.
1. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller thinks the 49ers could make a splash on draft day. “If (Florida State’s Jalen) Ramsey falls I think they’ll try to move up,” Miller tweeted on April 20. How far would Ramsey have to fall, though? If he falls to Pick 5, the Niners probably could get him by trading their first- and third-round selections.
2. A picture on 49ers.com shows Joe Staley playing right tackle instead of left tackle in a drill during the offseason training program. Staley played right tackle his rookie season but moved to the left in 2008 and has played there since. Perhaps the Niners will draft a left tackle and move Staley back to his old position. Or, maybe they’ll trade him.
3. General manager Trent Baalke has a draft crush on Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook, according to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole. “(Baalke) thinks he’s going to be able to get Cook in the second or third round of the draft,” Cole said in a video report. It is unknown whether 49ers head coach Chip Kelly shares Baalke’s affinity for Cook.
6-Round Mock Draft
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Here is how the draft might break for the 49ers if they trade none of their picks.
Round 1: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame: Stanley is the only top tackle prospect the Niners are known to have met with, according to Walterfootball, and the Niners almost always spend their first-round picks on players they already have met. Stanley can play left tackle and would allow the 49ers trade Joe Staley if Staley doesn’t want to play for a rebuilding team.
Round 2: Emmanuel Ogbah, OLB, Oklahoma State: The 49ers like pass rushers with long arms, and Ogbah’s are 35 ½-inches. Ogbah fits the 49ers' mold. He also has experience rushing from both the left and right side of a defense, and he’s explosive, running a 4.63 at the combine.
Round 3: Xavien Howard, CB, Baylor: Howard is 6'0", 201 pounds, he ran a 4.41 at his Pro Day, he excels in press-man coverage, tackles well and allowed a passer rating of just 32.4 last season, according to the 2016 Pro Football Focus Draft Guide.
Round 4: Jaylon Smith, ILB, Notre Dame: Smith was arguably the top prospect in the draft before he suffered a gruesome knee injury during the Fiesta Bowl this January. Now, he probably will fall out of the top-100 picks. The Niners like drafting injured players with big-time talent like Smith, and they currently own Pick 105.
Round 4: Kevin Hogan, QB, Stanford: Hogan comes from a run-first college offense, and he’s mobile, so he fits the 49ers’ offense. Hogan also scored a 38 on the Wonderlic Test, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, so he presumably could pick up the 49ers’ offense quickly.
Round 5: Daniel Lasco, RB, Cal: Missed most of 2015 due to injury, but he won team MVP honors over quarterback Jared Goff in 2014. Lasco rushed for 1,112 yards and 12 touchdowns that season, and he caught 33 passes for 356 receiving yards.
Round 5: Joe Thuney, G, North Carolina State: Played on a shaky offensive line and gave up only seven total pressures in 2015, according to the 2016 Pro Football Focus Draft Guide. Thuney could start for the 49ers at guard, and back up both the center and tackle positions.
Round 5: D.J. Reader, NT, Clemson: The 49ers’ two nose tackles, Ian Williams and Glenn Dorsey, currently are rehabbing injuries. If neither is ready to play when the season starts, the Niners will need another nose tackle. Reader is a nose tackle who has enough length to play defensive end as well.
Round 6: Roger Lewis, WR, Bowling Green: Lewis caught 156 passes for 2,638 yards and 23 touchdowns during his two seasons in the MAC, and recently ran a 4.46 at his Pro Day. He falls to Round 6 because of off-field concerns.
According to CBS Sports, Lewis had "two first degree felony charges of rape (of the same woman) in 2012." He was "acquitted of the first charge but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of falsification and three years of probation after the second charge resulted in a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury."
Round 6: Dadi Lhomme Nicolas, OLB, Virginia Tech: A 235-pound edge-rusher who recorded an impressive 48 total pressures in 2015, according to the 2016 Pro Football Focus Draft Guide. To put that stat in perspective, Clemson edge-rusher Shaq Lawson played in the same conference as Nicolas and registered 49 total pressures in 2015.
Round 6: Stephen Anderson, TE, Cal: A 230-pound move tight end who began his collegiate career as a wide receiver. Anderson caught at least 40 passes each of the past two seasons and recently ran a 4.63 at his Pro Day. He needs more strength and experience as a blocker.
Round 6: Jarrod Wilson, FS, Michigan: A 2015 All-Big 10 Honorable-Mention free safety who can replace Eric Reid if he suffers his fourth concussion as a member of the 49ers.
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