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2016 NFL Draft: 5 Players the San Francisco 49ers Must Target

By Peter Panacy

Aug 30, 2014; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley (78) waits between plays during the game agains the Rice Owls at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 48-17. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 30, 2014; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley (78) waits between plays during the game agains the Rice Owls at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 48-17. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats linebacker Scooby Wright III (33) stands on the field during the second quarter against the Boise State Broncos in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. The Broncos won 38-30. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats linebacker Scooby Wright III (33) stands on the field during the second quarter against the Boise State Broncos in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. The Broncos won 38-30. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports /

Inside Linebacker Scooby Wright, Arizona

6’0″, 246 pounds

Collegiate Statistics

The days of linebackers NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis dominating the interior of San Francisco’s defense may be gone now. But the 49ers should make it a point to ensure something similar happens again moving forward.

It’s clear linebacker Michael Wilhoite isn’t cut out for this role. So supplementing this need via the draft is a strong option.

And it should include Arizona inside linebacker Scooby Wright III.

Wright finished ninth in the 2014 Heisman Trophy voting after posting an NCAA-leading 164 tackles and a whopping 31 tackles for a loss — also tops in the collegiate ranks. But a meniscus injury limited him to just three games in 2015.

Here’s what Rob Rang of CBS Sports had to say about him:

"Quick, instinctive and relentless, Wright is a classic tackling machine at inside linebacker. He’s consistently in position to make big plays in part due to his excellent diagnosis skills, showing excellent timing to jump the snap count and squeeze through gaps to make plays behind the line of scrimmage, including when rushing the quarterback."

Yeah, the 49ers could use some tackling help up the middle. Wright provides that.

He’s also projected by CBS Sports as a late third- or early fourth-round pick — likely due to his knee injury. But with so many picks during this portion of the draft, the 49ers could afford to take a flier on Wright to shore up their questionable interior defense.

Next: WR Braxton Miller