2017 NFL Draft: Why the 49ers Won’t Draft LSU RB Leonard Fournette

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Sep 17, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) before a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

Leonard Fournette is talented, but the San Francisco 49ers shouldn’t draft him. In order to maximize the impact of their draft capital in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Niners should use their second pick to either draft a higher value player, or trade back for additional value.

In the mock draft world, recency bias is king. Who will be “this year’s Dak Prescott,” the raw development project with occasional flashes of greatness? Which team will be clairvoyant enough to snatch him up in the fourth round, throw him into the lineup, and head straight to the playoffs?

It didn’t take long for LSU running back Leonard Fournette to receive his “this year’s Ezekiel Elliott” designation. With no clear-cut second-best talent in the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft, many mockers predict the San Francisco 49ers will select Fournette with the second pick on April 27.

But, the 49ers won’t. Or, at least, they shouldn’t, and here’s why.

First, we will affectionately mock the mockers by debunking their arguments for drafting Fournette with the No. 2 pick. Then, we will discuss the top arguments against drafting Fournette.

If recency bias is the king of the mock draft world, then groupthink is surely queen, as the arguments for drafting Fournette fit neatly into three basic categories: generational talent, best player available and Carlos Hyde is always hurt.