Why the 49ers Were Smart to Avoid Myles Jack in NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers traded back into the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft and had two selections on opening night. General manager Trent Baalke didn’t use either selection on Myles Jack, and it was a wise decision.

Three weeks before the draft it seemed a foregone conclusion that UCLA linebacker Myles Jack would be selected in the top-10. Realistically, it seemed hard to fathom him falling down to the 49ers at number seven overall. However, just before the draft, in an interview with the New York Post, Jack discussed his own injury and likely didn’t assuage the worries of teams.

After Jack’s injury became more of a concern, it seemed apparent that he wouldn’t be selected in the top-10. That’s simply too high to select an injured player, regardless of how good he might be. But his tape seemed to flash all of the enticing skills that would warrant a first-round pick.

When the San Francisco 49ers traded with the Kansas City Chiefs  to select twice in the first round, it seemed likely that the team would be targeting a slipping player. Specifically Myles Jack. The 49ers needed another inside linebacker and Jack was one of the most versatile athletes in the entire draft.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called Joshua Garnett’s name and, unless the 49ers planned on trading again, it signaled an end to any Jack-to-San Francisco speculation. Whether 49ers fans are excited or not, passing on Jack was the wisest decision that Baalke made throughout the entire draft process.

The San Francisco 49ers need impact players immediately but they also need players that they can count on for the next seven or eight years. Especially with their first two picks. If we were talking about Jack in the third round, then I’d say the 49ers should run to the podium and take a shot.

However, at both of their first-round selections, there were better and healthier options remaining on the board. Trent Baalke made the prudent move in sticking to his board and selecting two players at the top of their respective positions in the entire draft. That isn’t easy with flashy players like Jack on the board, but it is a franchise-sustaining move.

The 49ers don’t need any more injury projects. They don’t need them now and they don’t need to worry about one in a couple of years. Yes, I know they took an injured player with their next pick and I’m cautious about putting too much stock into that either way. For now, I’ll say it was a total Trent Baalke move and let’s hope for the best.

Jack’s fall into the second round was surprising but, at least for the 49ers, we should’ve expected it.

Bleacher Report NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller noted the 49ers apprehension in his final Scouting Notebook before the draft. The 49ers’ section made specific mention of Jack’s position on their board. I took a screenshot of the 49ers’ section in Miller’s piece and tweeted it in discussion.

Fans will certainly point to Jack’s undeniable talent and say that, late in the first round, he is worth taking. But the 49ers had more holes on this roster besides inside linebacker. To spend a high pick on a player that may wash out in a couple of years would be incredibly hard to justify.

General manager Trent Baalke is under a fair amount of scrutiny among fans and if Jack were to fail to ever be the dominant player that many expected, it would reflect poorly on Baalke. I recently discussed how Baalke botched a different draft pick. And how that same strategy of drafting to not deal with scrutiny might be a poor method of self-preservation.

Remember, we’re discussing the differences between a first-round selection and a seventh-round selection. With better players on the board, and the 49ers needing major upgrades, Baalke made the wise move in the first round.

In selecting Oregon’s DeForest Buckner and Stanford’s Joshua Garnett, Baalke selected two players that will almost immediately start. And will immediately pay dividends.

The team needed upgrades on both sides of the line badly, and both Buckner and Garnett are as cant-miss as it gets in the NFL. Both players bring skill sets that seem to naturally fit not only the 49ers, but the NFL as a whole. They are big, strong and athletic players that have what nearly every team is looking for.

Myles Jack may turn out to be an excellent player. Fortunately, because he was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars, the 49ers don’t need to worry about facing him too often. At seventh overall, the injury all but guaranteed that the 49ers would pass on Jack.

Trading up made Jack seem like an apparent target but to give up picks to select an injured player in the first round doesn’t align with Baalke’s methods. In this case, that’s an excellent thing.

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The 49ers are at a crucial point in which they’re expecting multiple rookies to come in and contribute immediately. Jack could’ve done that. But what happens in four or five years when inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman is nearing retirement? Can Jack’s knee hold up that long? Some think it can’t.

If that’s the case, the 49ers would watch two starting linebackers leave within a very short timeframe. After the sudden retirement of All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis, watching the exits of another great linebacker or two would sting even more. Forget the prudence that Baalke showed, we as fans would be devastated with another early linebacker departure.

Myles Jack could play just a couple of years or he could have a long and healthy career. For his sake, we’ll hope he sees success and that his knee doesn’t hinder what he could be as a player. But the 49ers couldn’t be the team to take that risk.

Not with the state of the current roster. Baalke had to build through the draft. He had to build for 2017, but he also had to build for the years beyond. Nothing will happen overnight with this team and Baalke needs his picks now to be contributing in a major way by the time their rookie contracts expire.

Some fans won’t like it, because Myles Jack is incredibly fun to watch play football, but avoiding him was the smartest move Trent Baalke made in the entire 2016 NFL Draft.

Next: How Baalke Botched His Final Pick

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Sports Reference.com. All height, weight and 2016 NFL Combine measurements are courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise indicated.