NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

San Francisco 49ers: Best option with the 15th pick?

By Dan Salem

facebooktwitterreddit

The San Francisco 49ers performed well statistically last season, notching a measly eight wins. After losing a ton of talent this offseason, who must the 49ers select with the 15th pick in the NFL Draft? Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.

TODD: With the 15th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers select…?

San Francisco has been decimated this offseason at all levels. Linebacker is a barren landscape. Chris Borland and Patrick Willis both retired, while NaVorro Bowman is attempting to come back from a severe knee injury.

Cornerback is bare with the free-agent departures of both Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox. And there could be surprising needs along the offensive line for a team usually built through the trenches. Mike Iupati moved on from a unit that performed worse than expected a season ago.

At fifteen, it is hard to project exactly who will be available. Top corner prospect Trae Waynes will likely be off the board already by the time San Fran picks. The same goes for Brandon Scherff at the top of the offensive line list. But there will still be plenty of options for the 49ers.

A) Bud Dupree
B) Arik Armstead
C) La’el Collins

Dupree doesn’t really fit what San Francisco needs at linebacker, but there isn’t an inside LB worthy of being selected in the top half of the first round. Dupree can certainly help as an edge rusher a la Aldon Smith. Armstead, meanwhile, is more of a strictly defensive line player and could be the permanent replacement for Justin Smith whenever the latter decides to hang it up.

Or do the Niners go with a player like Collins on offense who projects as a great run blocker in the NFL with experience at both guard and tackle?

It’s hard to focus on one spot to fill when it feels as though the roster is in disarray. But the offense may be more explosive this season because of free-agent additions, and nailing one pick at a time will help to re-solidify what has left.

Dec 20, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback

Colin Kaepernick

(7) celebrates after rushing for a touchdown during the third quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Levi

DAN:

The 49ers will certainly enter the 2015 season with low expectations from everyone but themselves. They mustered up only eight wins last year and have lost an array of talent, as you noted. One huge element in their favor is stability at quarterback. No matter how much fans and pundits are questioning Colin Kaepernick, he’s the man in San Francisco. He threw two more picks in 2014 than the season prior, but otherwise was consistently solid as far as stats are concerned.

This leaves the 49ers with a dilemma at pick fifteen. There are no more locks and the top-tier elite players will have all been drafted. Yet fans should not fret, San Francisco can address its biggest weakness with this pick.

More from San Francisco 49ers

San Fran was excellent in total defense last season, ranking fifth in the league. They were fifth in passing, seventh in rushing, and tenth in points allowed. All of this added up to eight wins and eight losses, in probably the leagues toughest division. With all of those departures from the defensive unit, it has flip flopped from the team’s strength to a glaring weakness.

This takes La’el Collins off the table. I do love solidifying the offensive line, but the 49ers can’t afford to pass on a potential defensive stud in the top half of the first round.

Although the need is great at linebacker, San Fran must select Arik Armstead. He’s the ninth rated player in the draft according to ESPN’s Scouts Inc, while Dupree is way back at 32nd. This is a case of taking the best player to improve your ailing defensive unit.

I realize the 49ers play a 3-4 defense, with only three men up front. But there’s nothing that says a dynamic player like Armstead can’t change a team’s thinking, making them shift to a 4-3 in order to complement their defensive line while hiding a weakness at linebacker.

Go with the bigger stud and wreak havoc for opposing quarterbacks. San Francisco takes Armstead at fifteen.

Next: Are the 49ers a Playoff team with their new offense?

More from NFL Spin Zone