San Francisco 49ers: Does linebacker make sense in the first round?

Would it make sense for the San Francisco 49ers to take a linebacker in the first round? We evaluate the top prospects in the class to find out.

The success of the San Francisco 49ers defense in the Jim Harbaugh era was largely down to the play of tone-setting linebackers Patrick Wills and NaVorro Bowman, and the new regime has already made moves to try to make linebacker a position of strength again. After signing Malcolm Smith in his first free agency period in charge, general manager John Lynch made the decision to move back into the first round and draft Reuben Foster.

Though Foster battled injuries and was limited to 10 games in his rookie season, the former Alabama star made an impressive impact and was second on the team in tackles.

Smith, meanwhile, missed all of 2017 due to a torn pectoral suffered in training camp, and — though he and Foster are expected to form a partnership in 2018 — the 49ers have been linked with two of the top linebackers in this year’s draft class in Roquan Smith and Tremaine Edmunds.

The 49ers have multiple other needs they could address with their first-round selection, which will be either the No. 9 or No. 10 overall pick depending on the result of a coin flip. However, Smith will be 29 by the time the 2018 season starts and his play in coverage has been called into question, so there is logic behind the 49ers potentially investing another high pick in a linebacker.

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But are the top linebackers in the class of the caliber to justify using a first-round pick on the position again? Here we evaluate the best linebacker prospects and how they would fit in Robert Saleh’s 4-3 defense.

Roquan Smith

When you dominate in the SEC, there’s a good chance you should be able to dominate in the NFL, and Georgia star Smith looks like a player who has all the tools to be able to succeed in the pros.

He has frightening closing speed and uses it to attack downhill and chase sideline to sideline. Smith takes the correct angles to the football and has the boasts the athleticism and lateral movement to be able to change direction quickly and pick his way through traffic to find the football.

Smith trusts his eyes and has excellent instincts, which — combined with his athletic ability — enable him to change assignment and go from blitzing to covering a running back in a split second. A punishing hitter, the most impressive aspect of Smith’s game is how he uses his hands intelligently, getting them outside the frame of opposing linemen to make it easier to disengage.

Frequently used as a blitzer and as a quarterback spy, Smith is more than capable in coverage and can make athletic plays on the ball. At 6-1 and 225 pounds, Smith may be tad small for the linebacker position, but his versatility should appeal to the 49ers. He is a linebacker suited to staying on the field in nickel and dime and has a skill set that could allow him to play box safety in a pinch.

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While his build may not be ideal, Smith is a chess piece who could provide San Francisco’s defense with some extra flexibility.

Tremaine Edmunds

Virginia Tech’s Edmunds is at the other end of the spectrum to Smith at 6-5 and 236 pounds and is blessed with an intriguing combination of size and athletic ability.

Edmunds’ biggest strength is undoubtedly his tackling. In an age where there has never been a greater focus on concussions, Edmunds tackles in a way that should reduce his risk of head injuries and is extremely effective in stopping defenders in their tracks.

Wrapping up and hitting with force, Edmunds drives with his legs to finish tackles and, when he has initially been unable to wrap up, he has displayed the wherewithal to slide down the ball-carrier’s body to the legs to stop their progress. Demonstrating impressive short-area read-and-react quickness, Edmunds’ downhill closing speed made him a menace in the backfield with 30.5 tackles for loss in his final two seasons.

Edmunds is capable in coverage and had five passes defensed and an interception in his last two seasons and, while there should be some concern over his struggles in getting off blocks consistently, he should be of particular interest to the 49ers given his abilities as a pass rusher.

Having excelled rushing from the edge and the interior, Edmunds would not alleviate the 49ers’ need for a true edge rusher, but his skills in generating pressure would be extremely useful to a team that had only 30 sacks in 2017.

Rashaan Evans

In terms of pass-rushing linebackers, edge prospect Harold Landry is perhaps the only one better than Alabama’s Rashaan Evans. Evans hasn’t received the attention of Smith and Edmunds, but the tape suggests he is worthy of more hype. As a pass rusher, Evans often wins with his snap-reaction speed, but he also has an effective spin move and has shown the ability to win with his hands.

An instinctual player, Evans rarely overpursues, closes very quickly and delivers fearsome hits. However, it is the way in which Evans attacks blockers that stands out the most on film. Evans greets blockers with violence and, as a result, is able to quickly disengage from run blocks and find the football.

Evans does not possess the technique that Edmunds does as a tackler, often not making any attempt to wrap up, and regularly falls off hits as a result, but he is a dominant force near the line of scrimmage and is a prime candidate to be picked by the 49ers should they trade down in the first round. Were Evans to reunite with former Alabama teammate Foster, they could become one of the most feared linebacking duos in the league.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Post-Super Bowl edition

Smith and Edmunds also have the skill sets to be significant contributors for the 49ers and, while linebacker may not be the most pressing of needs, there can be little doubt that selecting any member of this trio would be a positive step in the Niners’ quest to build a dominant defense once more.