San Francisco 49ers: 2018 NFL Draft set up perfectly

The San Francisco 49ers have a number of needs but the 2018 NFL Draft is set up for them to address those holes and take the next step towards contention.

The San Francisco 49ers are a team still with plenty of holes as they aim to build a roster capable of contending for the playoffs, but the 2018 NFL Draft is one set up to help them achieve that goal.

While the arrival of Jimmy Garoppolo transformed San Francisco into one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL in the second half of the 2017 season, there are still glaring weaknesses on the roster that need to be addressed if the Niners are to be a force in the postseason.

But this is a draft class that is deep in pretty much all of the areas that are of the most importance for the 49ers. Here, we look at why this is a draft that stacks the deck in the favor of John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan.

Depth at linebacker

Despite investing significant resources at the position in 2017, linebacker remains an issue for the 49ers. With first-round pick Reuben Foster charged with three felonies relating to a domestic violence incident, his status for the 2018 campaign is very much in flux after an excellent rookie season.

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Malcolm Smith will be 29 by the time the season starts having missed 2017 with a torn pectoral, the former Seattle Seahawk and Oakland Raider struggling in coverage in 2016, giving up six touchdowns according to Pro Football Focus. Eli Harold started 10 games in 2017 but has made little impact rushing the passer from his SAM linebacker position, recording just two sacks last year.

San Francisco could therefore use help at each of the linebacker positions. Roquan Smith and Tremaine Edmunds have each been talked about as options for the 49ers with the ninth overall pick, and the undersized but extremely athletic Smith’s ability to excel in coverage and down near the line of scrimmage makes him a particularly strong fit for Robert Saleh’s defense.

However, the likes of Shaquem Griffin, Malik Jefferson and Darius Leonard should all be available on day two and have the talent to be immediate starters, giving the 49ers the flexibility to focus on another position in the first round.

Edge rushers who can bend

The biggest issue on the 49ers defense remains an inability to turn pressure into sacks. San Francisco had only 30 in 2017, despite continually impressive play from DeForest Buckner on the interior and another first-round pick being spent on the defensive line to add Solomon Thomas to the mix.

The Niners seem likely to miss out on the top pass rusher in the class, NC State’s Bradley Chubb, but there are a host of players in the draft who possess perhaps the most important trait for the role, an ability to bend round the corner.

Boston College’s Harold Landry is one such exponent of that skill and has been mooted as a target for the 49ers at ninth overall, his success in defeating pass protection with a dip move, quickness and power in his hands making him a worthy candidate for such a high pick.

Georgia’s Lorenzo Carter, the top SPARQ athlete at edge rusher, has consistently combined speed off the edge with bend, as has Florida State’s Josh Sweat.

That pair may both be available on day two, along with Uchenna Nwosu of USC, an intriguing edge rusher and off-ball linebacker hybrid who has displayed an ability to bend less regularly, but has an array of pass rush moves to suggest he could quickly succeed in the NFL as he works on that skill.

This improving 49ers defense desperately needs players who can capitalise on the havoc Buckner and can wreak on the interior, and they can head into the draft knowing they have a decent shot of landing a pass rusher boasting the primary trait needed to do that.

Mobile and Versatile Offensive Linemen

Even before the Los Angeles Rams decided to pair Ndamakong Suh with Aaron Donald, it was well established the 49ers needed help on the interior of the offensive line. The signing of center Weston Richburg should be a significant boost but guard is still very much a problem position.

Impressive mobility is a requirement for the zone-blocking scheme implemented in the Shanahan offense, with linemen who have had success pulling and getting to the second level of the defense favored by this 49ers regime. The Niners should therefore be impressed by this class of interior linemen, which features players who not only have the athletic profile they need but also the capability to play multiple positions.

Quenton Nelson, the top lineman in the class, figures to be off the board by the ninth pick. But Georgia’s Isaiah Wynn and Iowa’s James Daniels cannot be ruled out as first-round options. Wynn was extremely impressive at left tackle for Georgia in 2017 having transitioned from guard, while Daniels comes from a zone-blocking scheme at Iowa and can play guard as well as his preferred center position.

Arkansas’ Frank Ragnow can also play both spots on the interior and Nevada’s Austin Corbett spent his college career at left tackle but should make his money as an athletic guard blessed with power and a mean streak. Wyatt Teller of Virginia Tech does not have the same versatility, but boasts the best combination of pass protection ability, athleticism and power of any prospect not named Nelson or Wynn.

The 49ers have been low on interior line talent for some time now. In the 2018 draft they have every opportunity to ensure that is no longer the case.

A QB-needy Top 10 and Possible Trading Partners

Perhaps the biggest thing in the 49ers’ favour in this draft is that they find themselves in the latter part of a top 10 in which there are a plethora of teams in need of a quarterback. Four of the top five picks could be spent on a quarterback, meaning much of the premier defensive talent in the class will still be on the board at ninth overall.

The Buffalo Bulls, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals are candidates to try and jump ahead of them and push even more talent down the board, while the Bills and the New England Patriots — each owners of two first-round picks — are obvious potential trading partners if the Niners feel a move back is their best option.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Full 7-round projection

This is a draft rich in talent at the 49ers’ areas of need and one in which they have the flexibility to trade back if they are not content with taking one of the premium prospects likely to fall into their lap. The 2018 draft is perfectly set up to help the Niners take the next step, and they little excuse for not acing it.