2016 NFL Draft: Why the San Francisco 49ers Didn’t Draft an Inside Linebacker

The San Francisco 49ers passed on selecting a linebacker with one of their 11 picks in the 2016 NFL Draft. While perplexing to many, the Niners may have some rationale in not going that route.

Call me crazy, but I’m sure I wasn’t alone in my frustrations with San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke and his decision to avoid drafting an inside linebacker at any point in the 2016 NFL Draft.

After all, this was one of the most pressing areas of need for a team which used to boast the best inside linebacker tandem in all of the NFL. The days of linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman patrolling the inside of San Francisco’s front seven are gone now. And while Bowman remains a mainstay of the Niner defense, he needs some help.

For now, veteran linebacker Michael Wilhoite appears to be the starting option. While ranking second on the team in tackles last year (62), Wilhoite was also the team’s worst-graded defender, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) — finishing 2015 with a minus-16.5 overall mark.

True, Baalke does deserve credit for shoring up the defensive line and adding depth within the secondary. But the Niners ranked third worst against the run last year, having allowed 2,020 yards on the ground.

And being strong up the middle is inherent in stopping the run.

Still, there may be a couple of good reasons why the 49ers didn’t consider inside linebacker atop their large list of needs.

Need Didn’t Match Value

I recalled the Niners passing on linebacker Denzel Perryman last season, who ended up with the San Diego Chargers in Round 2. And history could repeat itself again with some of the notable mid-to-late round linebackers whom the 49ers could have grabbed.

But to check off one reason why Baalke didn’t go here, let’s start by admitting the 2016 inside linebacker class wasn’t exactly all that deep.

OK, so pre-injury-concern UCLA linebacker Myles Jack would have been a no-brainer pick for San Francisco at No. 7, right? Or maybe not. Some scouts listed him as a “tweener” and better suited for a 4-3 scheme (we’ll get to schemes in a moment). Who knows how things would have played out if Jack’s knee concerns hadn’t been an issue.

But as Niners Nation’s James Brady wrote early last month, the 49ers simply might have viewed more areas as being more pressing — especially when determining the value:

"Other than [Reggie] Ragland or a can’t-miss talent like Jack, I don’t think there are any players at the position that the 49ers should consider later in the first round. Guys like [Kentrell] Brothers, Brown and [Josh] Forrest are all interesting to me, but they’d all need to come in the late second round or later. For now, inside linebacker may be a luxury the 49ers can’t afford to address early on in the draft, and someone like Wilhoite might just have to do for another season."

It appears as if Baalke didn’t view inside linebacker as a top need either.

“Who said it was the top need on the team?” Baalke commented on linebacker needs, via Chris Biderman of NinersWire.com. “I would respectfully disagree, but we feel good about that group. We really do. We weren’t in a position at any point where we felt the player available was that guy. We feel real good about that room.”

Baalke’s comments could be viewed as a sort of “CYA” move when evaluating his efforts. Or maybe they aren’t.

After all, the 49ers passed up on Arizona’s Scooby Wright III — NCAA’s leading tackler in 2014 as well as a Heisman Trophy candidate — in Round 7. Wright was drafted by the Cleveland Browns the pick immediately following San Francisco’s selection of cornerback Prince Charles Iworah.

Was that deliberate, or should it be something leaving us with a question-mark look on our faces?

Schemes, Sub Packages and Fits

Perhaps one of the reasons why the 49ers are placing less emphasis on having two standout interior linebackers is the recent trend of pass-anticipating sub packages.

During NFL Network’s broadcast of the draft, one of the analysts (forgive me for forgetting who said it) noted 65 to 70 percent of defensive snaps are taken in sub packages and not in teams’ traditional 3-4 or 4-3 alignments.

The league has become pass-happy in recent seasons and has moved towards spread offenses with three, four and even five wide receivers lining up for routes. This means more nickel and dime formations for defenses, even on running downs, which places less pressure on traditional two-inside linebacker sets in a 3-4 scheme.

There are some inside linebacker prospects who could fit the bill — both in coverage and at the line of scrimmage, as shown below:

But those types of players are rare. And, if we continue the previous argument of need versus value, perhaps Baalke didn’t envision any available inside linebacker filling this apparent void.

Niners Nation put together an interesting piece on why the 49ers draft efforts focused more on the cornerback position and less at linebacker. It’s worth a read and may help explain why the Niners placed less emphasis on inside linebackers in this draft.

In short, the argument stressed the need for cornerback-coverage depth and pass-rush potential from the guys who are supposed to provide it — defensive linemen and outside linebackers/edge-rushers.

In theory, many inside linebackers may be guilty of being “tweeners” and not particularly a good fit for what the Niners defense will run under defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil.

Let’s get back to the hybrid-type of linebacker though.

It’s plausible the 49ers feel as if they already have a player who can fit the bill. Last year, the Niners tabbed Samford safety Jaquiski Tartt in Round 2. That’s a pretty high investment for, conceivably at the time, a backup safety behind Eric Reid, Antoine Bethea and Jimmie Ward.

During his post-draft presser on CSN Bay Area, Baalke hinted Ward would eventually see more time at safety — a move which will likely phase the veteran Bethea out of the picture at some point down the road.

Tartt’s coverage skills weren’t particularly good in 2015, which isn’t surprising for a rookie defensive back. Pro Football Focus gave him a minus-8.7 pass-coverage grade on the year, but he received a plus-1.4 mark against the run.

Envision what the Arizona Cardinals did with safety Deone Bucannon last season. He fits the mold for the hybrid-type safety, who can drop into the box and play inside linebacker as shown here:

If the 49ers feel good about Tartt’s abilities to fill this void, drafting for an inside linebacker position seems much less of a priority than initially anticipated. And it isn’t as if the 49ers need an upgrade over Bowman anytime soon.

More from Niner Noise

• 49ers 2023 NFL Draft tracker: Pick-by-pick news and analysis
• Predicting 49ers NFL Draft picks by looking at final mocks
• DraftKings NFL Draft Promo – Win $150 Guaranteed on Any $5 Bet 
• 2023 NFL Draft: EDGE Byron Young could be impact player for 49ers
• 5 low-key NFL Draft options for 49ers who are flying under the radar

We may never know if this was the true intention of Baalke or San Francisco’s scouts with regards to the team’s draft plans. What transpired could have been a conflict between need and value or the Niners’ confidence in Tartt’s abilities and a perceived hybrid role.

Or any combination thereof.

What we do know is this — if the 49ers interior defense behind the defensive line showcases some prowess, the lack of an ILB draftee will largely go unnoticed.

But if the 49ers are weak again up the middle, fans will almost unanimously scream about this gaffe over the course of the season.

Next: Predicting 49ers Starting Lineup After 2016 NFL Draft

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.