2016 NFL Draft: Five Sleeper Picks for the 49ers

The Final Say

The San Francisco 49ers will base their late selections on the value that they find throughout the rest of the draft. That is what makes projecting sleeper selections so difficult. If these players were well known, they’d be projected to go higher than they will be going later this month.

Additionally, the skills that they do bring are tied to some inefficiencies that will need to be coached out of them. That process is not always a short one and general manager Trent Baalke may feel inclined to look for the surest bet he can at any level.

Unfortunately, by the time the fifth round comes around, many of the players available are anything but sure bets. Baalke will be hitching his wagon, and likely his career, to the players that he is able to bring in to compete in rebuilding the broken roster.

If the late guys manage to scratch the roster and contribute, Baalke will have done well to re-establish himself as a general manager that can find value at multiple layers in the draft. If the picks flame out, like many recent 49ers picks have, Baalke may not be around to see another draft.

The San Francisco 49ers will likely end up making nine or ten picks later this month in the 2016 NFL Draft. As the clock starts to wind down and boards get smaller, the team can target these players listed to finalize their roster moving forward. They’d be wise to do so.

Next: Worst-Case Scenarios for 49ers

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN Statistics unless otherwise indicated. Salary cap figures courtesy of OverTheCap.com unless otherwise indicated.