Niner Noise
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The Three Alabama Players Who Should Be on 49ers Radar

By Nicholas McGee

Oct 1, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Reuben Foster (10) is blocked by Kentucky Wildcats running back Jojo Kemp (3) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide defeated Kentucky 34-6. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Reuben Foster (10) is blocked by Kentucky Wildcats running back Jojo Kemp (3) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide defeated Kentucky 34-6. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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The 49ers are guaranteed to have a top-five pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, and these three Alabama players should be firmly on their radar.

It’s hardly a secret that Nick Saban’s Alabama team has produced a lot of NFL talent.

The programme has served as a production line for NFL teams for a long time, and once again there will be a number of Crimson Tide players going in the first round of the draft in 2017.

And there is a distinct possibility that one of those players could be heading west to join the 49ers.

The 49ers, at 1-12, are assured of a top-five pick and would currently stand to net the No. 2 overall selection in the draft.

Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett is regarded by many as the top player in the draft and is the early favorite to be the choice of the Browns, should Hue Jackson’s Cleveland team remain winless and hold on to the top pick.

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If Garrett does head to the Browns then the 49ers have something of a dilemma at No. 2. San Francisco’s biggest need is at quarterback, but it is extremely debatable whether any of the signal-callers in the class are worthy of being picked so high.

The Niners have a need at almost every position on the roster, though, and here we look at three Alabama players who should be high on their board.

Reuben Foster

The 49ers’ linebackers were once the strength of a team that went to three straight NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl. But this season, with NaVorro Bowman missing much of the campaign through injury, they have largely been a liability.

It remains to be seen whether Bowman, having already gone through one arduous recovery following his devastating knee injury in the NFC title game in 2014, will be anything close to the player he once was when he returns from a torn Achilles tendon.

But what is clear is that the Niners, despite Gerald Hodges’ improved recent form, need to upgrade the inside linebacker spot, and they can do just that by drafting Reuben Foster.

Foster is blessed with the athleticism that Bowman once had before his knee injury and was a key reason why Patrick Willis was able to be so successful with the 49ers.

A sideline-to-sideline to player who has quick, bouncy feet that allow him to change direction easily, Foster takes consistently excellent angles to the ball and delivers a punishing hit on contact.

Keeping his eyes in the backfield at all times, Foster diagnoses plays with startling speed and closes to the ball in a hurry both as a run defender and a pass rusher, with his athleticism also coming to the fore in coverage, where he has shown the ability to matchup with tight ends as well as wide receivers in the slot.

While largely a disciplined player who rarely allows running backs to break contain, overpursuit can be an issue for Foster, who also has problems getting off blocks – particularly when confronted by a lineman at the second level – and needs to improve at picking his way through traffic to avoid getting caught up in the wash.

Despite those weaknesses, Foster has the look of a linebacker who can become an instant contributor at the pro level and by selecting him and pairing him with Bowman, the Niners would instantly upgrade their front seven.

Tim Williams

The 49ers have been little short of abysmal rushing the passer since Jim Harbaugh’s exit in 2015, and – even if Garrett is beyond their reach – have the chance to address that problem by taking a player with 18 sacks since 2015 in Tim Williams.

With tremendous explosion off the snap and bend off the edge, as well as the quickness to work inside and swim and spin moves, Williams has plenty of tools at his disposal to be a dynamic pass rusher in the NFL.

Like Foster, Williams diagnoses plays well and his excellent closing speed allows him to shut down running plays in the backfield as well as passing plays. Williams has 27 tackles for loss since 2015.

Williams has the versatility to operate as a defensive end in a 4-3 front or as a stand-up outside linebacker in a 3-4. However, it is the latter role he is better suited to.

Indeed, Williams lacks the strength to win consistently in the trenches. It is his speed that is his best trait, though he could serve to do a better job converting it to power.

Far from a nuanced pass rusher, Williams is unable to string moves together in sequence, and also has difficulties with his open-field tackling.

Williams may be too much of a one-dimensional player to be taken at No. 2 but, if the 49ers decide to trade down or make a move back into the first round, then he is an obvious target for a team desperately needing to get better at pressuring the quarterback.

Jonathan Allen

After taking Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner in the first round in consecutive drafts, the chances of the 49ers selecting a defensive lineman with the No. 2 pick would appear to be very slim.

San Francisco evidently has more pressing needs, but Jonathan Allen is arguably the best player in the draft and has a skill set that may be too good for the 49ers to pass on him.

Allen possesses frightening athleticism for a man with a 6’3″ and 291-pound frame, he is able to win inside with both quickness and power, and also demonstrates surprising bend when pass rushing off the edge.

Significantly impacting both the run and the pass game, Allen displays impressive leg drive to drive blockers back and can also swat them away with his supremely strong hands.

Given his range of abilities, it is little surprise Allen – who also boasts a swim move in his locker – has racked up 25.5 sacks since 2014. Those impressive numbers are supplemented by the 41.5 tackles for loss Allen has recorded in his college career, the 2016 SEC Defensive Player of the Year proving adept at disengaging from blockers and finding the ball carrier.

Allen’s level of success at Alabama is testament to his outstanding awareness, which has been clear for all to see throughout his career. He has little difficulty reading and reacting to plays and, when he is unable to get home as a pass rusher, Allen has the wherewithal to get his hands up and attempt to bat down throws.

Though he has shown a proclivity to beat double-teams and make his way into the backfield, Allen is not a natural two-gapper and is more suited to a four-man defensive line.

That is a problem for the Niners, who drafted Armstead and Buckner to serve as a 3-4 defensive ends.

In a 4-3 front, Allen and the former Oregon duo are all best suited to playing on the interior, but at least one would likely have to transition to regularly playing off the edge for the trio to be able to be on the field at the same time.

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Foster and Williams are more comfortable fits for the Niners’ current defensive system, but Allen’s influence on the game is such that San Francisco also has to consider him as a possible second overall pick.

The debate over who the Niners should take if they remain at the No. 2 spot has a long way to go, but there can be little doubt each of these three Alabama defenders need to be on their radar.

Next: NFL Free Agency: 5 Players the 49ers Should Re-Sign in 2017

All collegiate statistics courtesy of Sports Reference.