Mac Jones leads prospects for 49ers to target in NFL draft
The 49ers' season is looking bleaker by the minute. Josh Schrock takes a look at some prospects who could help them bounce back in 2021.
The 49ers entered the season with dreams of Super Bowl vengeance in their eyes. After two weeks, it was clear 2020 was going to look a little different than 2019.
The injuries piled up early and the 49ers fought to stay afloat in the tough NFC West. The tide might finally have swept them away Sunday, though.
Not only were the 49ers rolled by the Seattle Seahawks to fall back to 4-4, but both quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and tight end George Kittle left the game with injuries.
On Monday, it was reported that Garoppolo will be out for at least six weeks while Kittle's season could be over.
That news should lead the 49ers to focus on the future. They traded Kwon Alexander on Monday, in a move that will relieve some of their cap stress.
It also should be time for the 49ers to turn their attention to the 2021 NFL Draft and decide what their team's biggest area of need is.
Four of the Power Five conferences are playing currently and the Pac-12 gets underway this weekend. So, let's take a look at the 49ers' four biggest areas of need (and the skill position player for fun) to see who should be on their radar come draft time.
The 49ers' offensive line has struggled in 2020 after being stout during their Super Bowl run a season ago.
Mike McGlinchey has had his issues at right tackle, but the 49ers have really struggled to hold up against A-gap pressure this season.
Humphrey is the best interior offensive lineman in the class. He's a cerebral center who has good knowledge of blocking angles and a strong lower half. Humphrey's history as a wrestler helps him as a blocker. He could shift to guard if needed, but drafting Humphrey also gives the 49ers the ability to get out from Weston Richburg's contract with a cap savings of $8.3 million if they release or trade the veteran center after June 1.
If the 49ers don't want to draft a left-handed center or prefer to stick with Richburg, Ohio State guard Wyatt Davis could end up being a long-term answer next to Richburg.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound behemoth is an absolute monster in the trenches. Davis will be great no matter the scheme he is in. He is a powerful, aggressive blocker who excels when flowing with the outside zone, picking up a guy on the second level or taking on the nose tackle.
Taking a guard early in the draft is normally taboo, but Davis would bring instant improvement to the 49ers' offensive line.
The 49ers have zero cornerbacks under contract following this season. It's likely they bring back either Jason Verrett or Richard Sherman, and the jury is out on Emmanuel Moseley and Ahkello Witherspoon's future.
The 49ers are going to need a young corner who can be a foundational piece in the secondary. Enter: Caleb Farley.
The former wide receiver turned cornerback is one of the best cover men in the class along with Alabama's Patrick Surtain II. Farley has great footwork, plays the ball well, is tremendous in press coverage, has great click and close ability. He's got the size, length, physicality athleticism and route-mirroring ability you want in a top corner.
Joe Horn's son was built to battle X receivers.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Gamecock is long and stocky. He's a physical corner who isn't afraid to jam at the line of scrimmage and use his hands to reroute receivers.
He's got some footwork issues and can be too grabby with his hands, but Horn would be a good fit for Robert Saleh's defense opposite Verrett, Sherman or Witherspoon.
Yes, I know the 49ers don't exactly have a pressing need at wide receiver with Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne.
But, it's really fun to think about giving Kyle Shanahan more toys, so we're going to go through a few receivers anyway.
Let's start with Alabama's other, other, other receiver. DeVonta Smith Jr. gets little love and yet might end up being the best pro of the bunch when it's all said and done.
Smith excels at creating separation off the line and is consistently good at making the first guy miss after the catch. He's not as explosive as Henry Ruggs or Jaylen Waddle or as precise as Jerry Jeudy, but DeVonta Smith Jr. but has great vision and is extremely slithery to avoid tackles and rack up yards after the catch.
A trio of Samuel, Aiyuk and Smith would be hard to pass up.
Another YAC monster who could be a fit in Shanahan's system.
Bateman is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound alpha receiver. The Golden Gopher excels in contested-catch situations and his straight-line explosiveness helped him rack up over 20 yards per catch in 2019.
Bateman's explosiveness, however, is more suited for the vertical game than the quick passing game which could put him lower on the 49ers' list depending on who is under center next season in Santa Clara.
Yeah, the 49ers will have Raheem Mostert next year and perhaps JaMycal Hasty sticks around, but guys like Najee Harris don't come around all that often.
At 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, Harris is an absolute load to bring down. He keeps churning and churning his feet, squiring his way out of tackles to gain every extra yard. While he doesn't reach top speed right away, once he gets going the speed shows and he's tough to catch in the open the field.
He wouldn't be a Round 1 pick for the 49ers, but he wouldn't be a bad get in Round 2.
The 49ers have a decision to make regarding quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason. If they don't think he's the quarterback of the future, they can move on from him with little penalty after the season.
A look at the 2021 NFL Draft class has Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields atop it by a mile, with Trey Lance expected to be the third quarterback off the board and Wilson the fourth.
The BYU signal-caller's stock has risen this season as he's led the Cougars to an undefeated season so far. Wilson has good mobility on bootlegs and read-options and is adept at extending plays with his legs. He throws a good, catchable ball and has demonstrated the arm strength to make all the throws necessary.
His 3/4 arm motion puts a lot of pressure on his shoulder and he has already had surgery on that throwing shoulder once. He's a good leader with the mobility and intangibles to be a solid NFL quarterback.
Here's the most "Kyle Shanahan" quarterback of the draft class.
Jones is a smart, cerebral quarterback with a crisp delivery. He's ultra-accurate in the short and intermediate passing game. While he doesn't have a cannon for an arm, he isn't afraid to air it out and let his receivers make a play. He very well could be the best deep-ball thrower in the class. He's not very mobile, but he can make little movements in the pocket that help extend plays.
He gets the ball out quickly and efficiently and he doesn't make a lot of mistakes. He's tough as nails and has no problem hanging in the pocket and taking a hit in order to make a play.
He's currently the No. 6 QB on the draft board, but he's a guy who could fit the 49ers well in Round 2 if they want to grab a cornerback or offensive lineman in Round 1.
