How the 49ers 2016 NFL Draft Should Have Gone

The San Francisco 49ers did not address all of their needs in the 2016 NFL Draft, here we look at things that should have been done differently by general manager Trent Baalke.

Trent Baalke focused in on two areas in the 2016 NFL Draft, adding significantly to both sides of the trenches and also bolstering the secondary in a big way.

Five of the 49ers’ 11 picks were spent on the offensive and defensive line while San Francisco added three corners in the form of Mississippi State’s Will Redmond, LSU defensive back Rashard Robinson and Prince Charles Iworah of Western Kentucky.

Baalke does not need to justify the decision to add pieces up front. First-round pick DeForest Buckner should be able to make an instant impact as an interior pass rusher alongside former Oregon teammate Arik Armstead while Ronald Blair – who the 49ers drafted with the first of three fifth-round picks – adds further depth to the D-line rotation.

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The Niners’ decision to trade back into the first round to get a guard in Joshua Garnett raised many eyebrows, but there is no doubt San Francisco needed help on the interior of the offensive line and the hope will be he can continue to be a force in the run game with his ability to pull and get to the next level.

John Theus and Fahn Cooper provide much-needed competition for Trent Brown at right tackle with Anthony Davis’ potential reinstatement still very much up in the air but, although the 49ers’ pass defense finished 2015 ranked No. 30 in the NFL by Football Outsiders, it is highly debatable whether it was necessary to draft three cornerbacks.

San Francisco built its previously successful defence by having a potent pass rush that was able to disguise the flaws of the average corners on the 49ers’ roster. The Niners were in the top 11 in sacks in 2011 and 2012, although they did fall to No. 18 in that category in 2013.

The Niners actually got some decent play out of their corners in 2015. Kenneth Acker had three interceptions and showed signs of promise along with Dontae Johnson, whose limited playing time in 2015 was surprising considering his 6’2″ and 200-pound frame and impressive rookie year in 2014.

December 20, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Dontae Johnson (36) during the third quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Levi /

Jimmie Ward also enjoyed an excellent bounce-back year playing the nickel role and, while the 49ers lacked quality depth at corner, there is an argument the third-round pick used on Redmond could have gone on a pass rusher.

Plenty of players with the skills to help the 49ers get after the quarterback were on the board when the Niners picked at No. 68 overall, with Maryland’s Yannick Ngakoue – who had 13 sacks in his final collegiate season – and versatile BYU defensive end Bronson Kaufusi coming off the board in the next two selections after Redmond was taken.

The Oakland Raiders were able to get a bargain at pick No. 75 in Michigan State’s Shilique Calhoun, who used an explosive first step and speed off the edge to put up 15 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks last year, while the Green Bay Packers saw Utah State’s Kyler Fackrell – a long and rangy edge man with the athleticism to contribute as a run defender, pass rusher and in coverage fall into their grasp at No. 88.

With Redmond coming off an ACL tear, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to have much of an immediate impact in his rookie year, making the 49ers’ decision to pass up the chance to take an edge defender more bewildering.

Edge rusher is not the only position the 49ers appeared to neglect in the draft. Despite NaVorro Bowman enjoying an All-Pro season in his return from a torn ACL and MCL that forced him to miss the 2014 campaign, the consensus was San Francisco could benefit from bringing in a young inside linebacker to back him up and compete with Michael Wilhoite or Gerald Hodges – who figure to be vying for the other starting spot at that position in 2016.

The 49ers did add Memphis inside backer Wynton McManis to their group of undrafted free agents. However, with Missouri’s Kentrell Brothers – who racked up 152 tackles in his final season with the Tigers – still on the board at the end of round four, it was a huge surprise to see San Francisco go with a corner in Robinson who has not played since October 2014 after being suspended by LSU.

San Francisco took a chance on a linebacker with high-level instincts in 2014 when drafting Chris Borland, and would have got a player of a similar ilk had they selected Brothers, who was praised for his intelligence by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein.

"Elite vision and understanding of spatial relationship. Finds the ball quickly and rarely lets it leave his sights. Has innate sense of when to go over or under blocks and finds creases to tackle that many linebackers can’t see. Reads keys and allows them to lead him to victory. Calm and focused around line of scrimmage and is very rarely taken off his feet by a block. Plays with pre-snap idea of where ball is headed and races to the spot ahead of linemen looking to climb up and block him. Gap responsible and has the play strength to stand up to blockers. Great finisher as tackler. His huge hands can turn a diving arm tackle into a finish. Sniffs out play-action and immediately looks for his coverage responsibility. Reads quarterbacks’ clues to where pass is headed. Rarely busts in coverage responsibilities."

While Acker and Johnson have shown flashes of strong play and Ward has grown into his nickel role, the 49ers were far from deep at corner going into the draft and therefore adding to the position made some degree of sense.

However, passing on productive players who could have contributed immediately in the front seven for a pair of corners whose transition to the the pros may take longer because of injuries and lack of playing time in college are difficult moves to defend.

Sep 19, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive back Will Redmond (2) prepares for a play during the game against the Northwestern State Demons at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State won 62-13. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

Given the 49ers’ difficulties getting to the quarterback – they had just 28 sacks in 2015 – the addition of a pass rusher such as Ngakoue or Calhoun in the third round would have filled a more pressing need than the selection of Redmond – who is viewed as a nickel corner.

Although Bowman was magnificent last season, there are no guarantees he will be able to maintain that level long term as time takes its toll on his body.

Brothers would have given the 49ers a potential replacement for Bowman as well as a player who could have immediately competed with Wilhoite and Hodges, and would have represented a safer and more valuable fourth-round pick than Robinson, who comes with concerns over thin frame as well as his off-the-field baggage.

Baalke of course has insisted he stuck to the draft board, per David Fucillo of Niners Nation, but choosing to add to the secondary ahead of the front seven was a bizarre departure from a strategy the 49ers have had some success with in the past and showed a lack of faith in players such as Acker and Johnson who deserve a shot to succeed long term.

And, if Redmond and Robinson struggle in their development as pros, they are picks that will become increasingly difficult to explain.

Pro stats from Pro Football Reference. Collegiate stats from Sports Reference.

Next: San Francisco 49ers: 5 UDFAs Who Might Make the Roster in 2016