2016 NFL Draft: Five High-Risk, High-Reward Prospects for 49ers
By Jerod Brown
The 2016 NFL Draft is within a few weeks and the San Francisco 49ers are busy wrapping up reports on players. Which high-risk, high-reward prospects make the most sense for the 49ers to select at the end of the month?
The San Francisco 49ers are in an enviable position in the weeks leading up to the 2016 NFL Draft. They hold 12 draft picks, spread out among all seven rounds, and will hold seven picks in the fifth and sixth round combined.
After the fourth round, the players that are available typically bring a little baggage along with them. Perhaps they show clear deficiencies in their play. Maybe they are coming off an injury. Worst of all, they’ve done something stupid off the field that impacts how teams view them.
The players in the later rounds offer value, but will come with question marks surrounding them. San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke will have the task of deciding whether the team can assume the risk associated with each player. They’ll be betting that these prospects can be developed and monitored to remain successful as professionals.
Simultaneously, the players that are selected early offer a tremendous amount of risk. The team only has one first-round selection and spending it on a player that never amounts to much can set the franchise back. Need evidence? A.J. Jenkins is your guy.
As the draft nears, let’s look at prospects that, for one reason or another, are far from sure things in the NFL. Here are five high-risk, high-reward prospects for the 49ers to consider in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Next: Long-Armed EDGE