2017 NFL Draft: Exploring the 49ers Options at No. 2 Overall in Round 1

The San Francisco 49ers hold the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, which gives the team’s next general manager plenty of flexibility. Niner Noise takes a look at the options in which the team can go.

If things stay the way they are, the San Francisco 49ers will be selecting at No. 2 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft.

And, presumably, the Niners will be taking a quarterback with that pick.

This is what many experts are predicting San Francisco to do. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller mocks the Niners getting a QB at this spot. So do CBS Sports draft analysts Dane Brugler and Rob Rang. The same with ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.

It’s certainly possible the 49ers go this route. Quarterback is a major need, and top-five picks are precious.

Yet one can also speculate there aren’t any quarterbacks worthy of a top-five pick in the draft.

So that opens up a whole new slew of possibilities — ones which we’ll explore here.

Sure, the Niners can take a quarterback at No. 2 overall. And we’ll kick off with that idea first. But what about selecting another prospect? What if San Francisco wants to trade down and acquire more draft capital?

Let’s dive into those questions too.

Option 1: 49ers Draft a Quarterback at No. 2 Like North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky

Go back and take a look at Matt Miller, Rob Rang, Dane Brugler and Mel Kiper’s mock drafts. Each one of them has San Francisco selecting North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky with the second overall pick.

OK, fine. The Niners need a quarterback.

Trubisky is, with little question, the best quarterback in this year’s draft class. As Brugler wrote in his CBS Sports draft profile, Trubisky is “shows consistent accuracy on short-to-intermediate passes and doesn’t force his receivers to work for it. Very confident passer who will use the entire field — steady play in late-game situations.”

All that sounds fine. But the same draft profile also points out Trubisky’s tendency to lock onto one receiver, which sounds just like a certain Niners quarterback fans know well.

His mechanics aren’t particularly great either, and he’s definitely the kind of prospect who will need a year or two of development before emerging as a quality starter.

And at No. 2 overall? That’s a reach.

CBS Sports projects Trubisky as the No. 13 overall prospect in the draft. But going second overall is probably not the ideal route the 49ers would like to take. Maybe they pass on a quarterback here, which opens up a second option.

Option 2: 49ers Draft a Safety Like Malik Hooker or Jamal Adams

This option certainly doesn’t seem plausible now that Trent Baalke is no longer general manager of the 49ers.

But what if we speculated the Niners tabbed either Ohio State’s Malik Hooker or LSU’s Jamal Adams to make some serious upgrades within the secondary?

It’s not a new argument. Our own Niner Noise contributor Nicholas McGee broke this down not long ago:

"Adams could be paired with [Eric] Reid for a year and then form a partnership with Ward if he moves from corner to take over the free safety spot from the Niners’ 2013 first-round pick. A Hooker-[Jaquiski] Tartt tandem is also a possibility should the 49ers cut bait with Reid and [Antoine] Bethea a year early, though that would require a strong show of faith in former second-round pick Tartt."

Yes, the 49ers appear to have three safeties capable of starting — Eric Reid, Jaquiski Tartt and Antoine Bethea. The number jumps to four if one counts defensive back Jimmie Ward switching to his natural position.

But McGee’s argument basically states either Hooker or Adams are linchpin pieces to build a defense around. And San Francisco lacks those in a major way.

Still, it’s a remote possibility and nothing more. The No. 2 overall pick is likely used to shore up needs elsewhere.

Option 3: 49ers Draft a Wide Receiver Like Clemson’s Mike Williams

Reaching for a quarterback in the 2017 NFL Draft is one thing. But reaching for a wide receiver — especially if that guy is Clemson’s Mike Williams — is a little easier to swallow.

Why? Well, Williams is surely the top wideout in the draft and doesn’t need the same kind of grooming or development a first-round quarterback in this year’s class would require.

At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Williams would immediately be a big-play threat the 49ers have lacked at the position for years. And they’ve certainly shied away from taking a wide receiver early ever since the 2012 NFL Draft class (yes, we remember you, A.J. Jenkins).

Just take a look at Williams’ collegiate numbers, courtesy of Sports Reference:

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 1/22/2017.

Stellar numbers, especially his 2016 campaign.

True, Williams does have some injury concerns stemming from the year prior. But he surely answered those with what happened leading up to Clemson’s national championship.

If selected — even at No. 2 — the Niners would still need someone to get Williams the ball. Personally, I have a draft crush on Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes in Round 2, but these are all first-round options.

Let’s save that discussion for later but break down another realistic option that could alleviate two needs in one round.

Option 4: 49ers Trade Back to No. 5 and Pick Up the Titans No. 18 Overall Pick as Well

In case you’re new to Niner Noise, you might not have realized one of the best decisions many of our team contributors are suggesting is to trade down from No. 2 overall.

San Francisco should have its eyes on one player at that particular spot, and we’ll get to him on the following slide.

But if he’s not there, the 49ers shouldn’t hesitate about moving down in the draft order.

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One can come up with a number of different situations here. An easy scenario would be to drop back to the No. 5 spot with the Tennessee Titans, and require the Titans’ No. 18 pick in exchange. If one checks out the draft-value numbers provided by Pro Football Talk, the transaction adds up almost perfectly.

Just like that, San Francisco has two first-round picks. And the Niners need as many as they can get.

Remember the quarterbacking needs? Well, the 18th overall pick can be used on whoever is highest on the draft board at this position. Perhaps the guy is North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky if he falls. Or maybe the 49ers tab Clemson’s Deshaun Watson or Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer here.

But what to do with that No. 5 pick?

The previous slide still applies, but I’m a big fan of Alabama’s Reuben Foster here. The inside linebacker would be an immediate upgrade over anything the 49ers have tried to place alongside NaVorro Bowman since Patrick Willis’ retirement.

And if we’re going with the “make the Niners defense great again” argument here, Foster would easily be a critical component.

Option 5: The Browns Pass on Texas A&M EDGE Myles Garrett, Who Is Selected by San Francisco

If speculation leads to truth, the No. 1 draft-pick holding Cleveland Browns will be taking Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett to kick off the NFL Draft.

San Francisco’s plans for this scenario would go out the window, but we’ve already touched on the other options at No. 2.

But what if the Browns passed?

If that were the case, the 49ers would be wise to make Garrett their next first-round pick. He’s easily the top collegiate prospect coming out of the draft this year, and he’d be the immediate impact player the Niners need on the defensive side of the ball.

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Consider the remaining cast of San Francisco pass-rushers. Aaron Lynch had a suspension-filled and injury-plagued 2016. Ahmad Brooks is 32 years old and likely cut this offseason. And Eli Harold hasn’t shown much over his two years at the pro level.

So much for depth at this position.

Next: 5 Bold Predictions for the 49ers in the NFL Draft

Garrett changes this, and the 49ers wouldn’t pass up on the opportunity to take him at No. 2 if he was there.