San Francisco 49ers: What You Need to Know for 2016 NFL Draft
Potential First-Round Picks
With the 49ers sitting with the seventh overall pick, it looks like both of the top quarterbacks are going to be gone by the time they get on the clock. That leaves the question of who to take more open, and five players are regularly mocked to the 49ers around the internet:
The most common pick listed, appearing in about two of every seven mock drafts out there, is Notre Dame tackle Ronnie Stanley. A three-year starter in South Bend, there is a growing minority opinion that it’s Stanley, and not Laremy Tunsil, who is the top offensive tackle in the draft. While I’m not sure I’d go that far, Stanley looks to be a long-term left tackle who may develop into a Pro Bowler one day. His pass protection skills are probably top in the draft, and he has the long arms and quick hands that Trent Baalke and his scouting staff love. Stanley would start at right tackle for the 49ers and, if all went well, could move to the left tackle position when Joe Staley hangs ‘em up—Staley made the Pro Bowl this season, but he’s on the wrong side of 30. Stanley would be more of a no-brainer pick if Staley wasn’t more or less locked on the roster until at least the 2019 season, but you do need two tackles in this league.
Appearing just about as often as Stanley, DeForest Buckner would take over the defensive end slot from Quinton Dial, pinning the edge alongside ex-Oregon teammate Arik Armstead for his ex-Oregon coach Chip Kelly. The idea of a mighty Ducks reunion in San Francisco drives some of this speculation, but 6’7”, 291-pound All-Americans don’t grow on trees. He can play 3-4 end and control the point of attack, but he has above-average pass-rushing skills for that position; normally, 3-4 ends don’t rack up huge amounts of sacks. Could he be the next Justin Smith and dominate the point of attack for years to come? I think Stanley is the better player at a position of greater need, but it would be hard to argue taking Buckner with the seventh pick, if he even lasts that long.
Appearing in about one-sixth of mock drafts, the logic behind drafting Paxton Lynch is pretty easy to see. The 49ers’ biggest need is at quarterback. The top two quarterbacks will be gone. Why not, then, draft the third-best quarterback, sit him for a year to learn Chip Kelly’s system, and have him come out and start in late 2016 and early 2017? Lynch is athletic—a duel-threat quarterback who still prefers passing over rushing, with prototypical size and a fast release. He could be Kelly’s NFL version of Marcus Mariota, but he’s probably not ready to be thrust into starting action right away. I’m a fan of Lynch, but I wouldn’t want him too much before the end of the first round; someone’s likely to overpay for him because of the scarcity of the quarterback position, but the seventh pick seems hard to swallow for me.
Myles Jack might be the biggest risk at the top of the 2016 draft. On pure potential and talent alone, Jack is a Pro Bowler with All-Pro potential; NFL.com gives him their second-highest grade among all prospects, though I think that’s a little high. He’s incredibly athletic, explosive, aggressive—every platitude you hear tossed around about the great linebackers. He also has an osteochondral defect, meaning he doesn’t have enough blood flow to his right knee, and it’s likely a matter of when, not if, he’ll require microfracture surgery to repair it. That’s scary enough to make me highly nervous about picking him; he’s not a reach at number seven, but he is a serious health risk.
OT Jack Conklin, Michigan State
The consensus third-best offensive tackle available, Conklin seems to be mocked to the 49ers frequently in situations where both Buckner and Stanley are gone, trades aren’t allowed, and drafting a quarterback feels too soon. Conklin is a talented player in his own right; he’s not the top athlete at the position by any stretch of the imagination, but his size and strength are ideal for the position. He’s probably a safer bet at the right tackle position than over on the blindside, but that’s what the 49ers need right now. Conklin would probably be the least exciting reasonable pick the 49ers could make, but NFL.com called him the draft’s “safest prospect”, and that’s something worth considering.
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