2016 NFL Draft: Worst-Case Scenarios for 49ers

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It’s possible Jared Goff, as well as all the other top targets, will be gone by the time the 49ers get on the clock. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

Just Plain Bad Luck

Sometimes, things just don’t go a team’s way, and the best-laid plans fall by the wayside. Maybe other teams decide that their needs are very similar to San Francisco’s, and they grab all the players the 49ers were hoping to take. Maybe no one else wants to trade with San Francisco, and they’re forced to sit and watch as player after player goes off the board.

It’s obviously unlikely that all of San Francisco’s targets will be gone before they get on the clock, what would that worst-case scenario be? In other words, what happens if the 49ers are forced to take their seventh-favorite player at pick seven and their 37^th-favorite player at pick 37, and so on? The draft might look something like this:

Round 1, Pick 7: Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State.

With both of the top quarterbacks and both of the top offensive tackles off the board, as well as players like Joey Bosa and DeForest Buckner, the 49ers take an offensive tackle with some physical limitations but solid technique and very good size to shore up their right tackle position.

Round 2, Pick 37: Chris Jones, DL, Mississippi State

More than a quarter of the picks between the 49ers’ first- and second-round selections are potential edge rushers, and quarterbacks Connor Cook, Paxton Lynch and even Christian Hackenberg get snatched up as well. The 49ers thus decide to bolster their defensive line depth with Jones, who can play anywhere along a defensive line, though his technique needs some work.

Round 3, Pick 68: Artie Burns, CB, Miami (FL)

Another quarterback gone before the 49ers could take them in Jacoby Brissett, as well as all of the deep and interesting mid-round receiver prospects like Oklahoma’s Sterling Shepard and Ohio State’s Braxton Miller. The 49ers instead bolster their secondary with track star Burns from Florida; he’s not ready to really contribute yet in terms of technique or on-field production, but he’s an All-American hurdler and that sort of raw physical talent can’t be taught.

Round 4, Pick 105: Connor McGovern, OG, Missouri

Brandon Allen is the quarterback the 49ers miss out on here, as well as some talented edge rushers like Carl Nassib and Shilique Calhoun. Instead, the 49ers double-down on the offensive line with McGovern, one of the strongest players in college football who still needs to polish his pass protection to be an NFL starter.

Round 4, Pick 133: Jayron Kearse, S, Clemson

Another quarterback goes by in Dak Prescott, and linebackers like Scooby Wright, Kentrell Brothers and Kyler Fackrell are gone as well. Safety’s not a need, but Jayron Kearse, at 6’4” and 216 pounds, has excellent height and freakishly long arms to make him a possible deep-ball coverage specialist.

Round 5, Pick 142: Anthony Zettel, DE, Penn State

So long quarterback Cody Kessler, but the 49ers bolster their defensive line once more with Zettel, an undersized lineman with great motor and fantastic, constant effort.

Round 5, Pick 145: Javon Hargrave, DT, South Carolina State

The 49ers double-down on the third-day defensive linemen, a raw and athletic 300-pound defensive tackle who recorded 29.5 sacks over the last two seasons from the inside.

Round 5, Pick 174: Roberto Aguayo, K, Florida State

So what if the 49ers can’t get quarterbacks Kevin Hogan, Jeff Driskel or Cardale Jones? They can come away with the greatest kicking prospect in years. I generally speaking follow the mantra of never, ever drafting kickers, but there are worse situations than taking the closest thing to a sure-fire prospect in a draft late in the fifth round.

Round 6, Pick 178: Jonathan Jones, CB, Auburn

Jones ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash, and would be the second track star the 49ers drafted for the cornerback position in the draft. If he was taller than 5’9”, he’d likely go significantly earlier.

Round 6, Pick 207: Kelvin Taylor, RB, Florida

Taylor’s the son of former Jacksonville Jaguar star Fred Taylor. He doesn’t have the power to be an every-down between-the-tackles back, but he’s got solid vision and footwork and could be part of a rotation.

Round 6, Pick 211: Steven Daniels, ILB, Boston College

Maybe Daniels isn’t the heir apparent to Patrick Willis fans are hoping for, but he’s a great tackler and hard-hitting downhill player. He’d probably excel on special teams, and he’s always played better on the field than he has in workouts.

Round 6, Pick 213: Travis Feeney, OLB, Washington

Feeney exploded at the combine, putting up top performances in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump and 60-yard shuttle. He’s more of a safety trying to convert to linebacker than a pure edge rusher, but he’s a talent that’s worth evaluating, at least on special teams.

No quarterback, wide receiver or center would really hurt this draft, but if life gives the 49ers lemons, this is some fairly solid lemonade they could make out of it, building from the lines out and bolstering a defense that was among the league’s best just a few seasons ago. This is essentially the worst group of players the 49ers could reasonably come out of the draft with; if they somehow fill less needs or have less talented players, something has gone horribly wrong somewhere.

Next: What to Expect out of Torrey Smith

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Of course, they could also draft 12 kickers and punters or forfeit all their picks, but let’s try to keep things within the realms of possibility.