2016 NFL Draft: Way Too Early Mock for San Francisco 49ers, Version 1.0B
By Peter Panacy
Round 4: Own Pick
Selection: OLB Kyler Fackrel, Utah State
Again, not much of a deviation from our previous mock.
Utah State outside linebacker Kyler Fackrel is a beast of a man. At 6’5″ and 250 pounds, Fackrel is one of the biggest outside linebacker prospects and has tremendous tackling prowess.
Out of his 247 total tackles in four years at Utah State, 34.5 came for a loss. This showcases his ability to attack ball-carriers in the backfield and eliminate penetration towards the edge.
And his five sacks during his senior year is a nice bonus.
Fackrel would be an immediate upgrade over outside linebacker Corey Lemonier and will likely be a long-term answer for aging linebacker Ahmad Brooks.
Sep 12, 2015; Louisville, KY, USA; Houston Cougars running back Kenneth Farrow (35) tries to break the tackles of Louisville Cardinals defensive end Pio Vatuvei (44) linebacker Devonte Fields (92) during second half at Papa John
Round 4: Compensatory Pick (Mike Iupati)
Selection: DE Devonte Fields, Louisville
Louisville defensive end Devonte Fields is another carryover from our previous mock. And a lot of the selections won’t change anyway given the 49ers’ wide array of needs.
Fields has some off-the-field concerns, which resulted in him being dismissed from TCU in 2014 per CBS Sports. This certainly dropped his draft stock into the middle rounds, but Fields still remains one of the better pass-rushers in collegiate football.
Here’s what Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller had to say about him:
"As the regular season comes to a close, one name to file away to remember once the predraft events warm up is DeVonte Fields (6’4″, 250 lbs) at Louisville. The former TCU defensive end was a star in the Big 12 before being dismissed from school. He’s landed on his feet at Louisville and has stayed out of trouble while producing for the Cardinals."
Red flags are always a concern, especially for the 49ers, but the recent trend suggest Fields is behaving himself amicably enough.
Next: Round 5