2017 NFL Draft: San Francisco 49ers First Round Big Board

With less than two weeks to go until the 2017 NFL Draft, we look at who should be on the 49ers’ Big Board in the first round.

The San Francisco 49ers are under two weeks away from making their selection with the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

With no clear second-best player, it is anybody’s guess who the Niners will take, and their remains the possibility they could trade down.

Keeping that in mind, we have put together a 29-player strong Big Board — split into two groups of players who should on the 49ers’ radar if they stay at two or trade down in the top 10 and those who the Niners need to have their eye on if they move out of the opening 10 picks — of prospects San Francisco figures to be looking at on day one of the draft.

The Board

No.2/Top 10

1. Myles Garrett

2. Marshon Lattimore

3. Malik Hooker

4. Solomon Thomas

5. Reuben Foster

6. Jamal Adams

7. Derek Barnett

8. Corey Davis

9. O.J. Howard

10. Leonard Fournette

11. Mike Williams

Trade Down Outside Top 10

12. DeShone Kizer

13. Takkarist McKinley

14. Patrick Mahomes

15. Tre’Davious White

16. Akhello Witherspoon

17. Marlon Humphrey

18. Gareon Conley

19. Jordan Willis

20. Christian McCaffrey

21. Jonathan Allen

22. John Ross

23. DeShaun Watson

24. Mitchell Trubisky

25. Cam Robinson

26. Ryan Ramczyk

27. Zach Cunningham

28. Tim Williams

29. Forrest Lamp

No. 1-5

Myles Garrett

There doesn’t need to be any thought put into this one from the 49ers’ perspective. If the Browns, for some inexplicable reason, do not take Garrett with the first overall pick, then the Niners need to sprint to the podium to hand their pick in.

Garrett explodes off the edge, displays great power and has a full arsenal of pass rush tools in his locker. He can bull rush, boasts both an inside move and a spin move and demonstrates bend and dip off the edge.

He is a perfect fit to to be the 49ers’ LEO pass rusher going forward and would immediately and substantially improve a pass rush in desperate need of fresh blood.

Marshon Lattimore

The 49ers have a hole at starting cornerback following Tramaine Brock’s release, and Marshon Lattimore is the perfect man to fill it.

Inexperienced and having previously been hampered by hamstring issues, there are legitimate concerns around Lattimore. However, he is an athletically gifted corner with the ball skills to make an impact at the next level.

Lattimore posted four interceptions and nine pass breakups in his sole season as a starter, which saw him display the patience in press coverage to keep himself square as well as the athleticism to turn his hips quickly.

A corner who often runs better routes than his opposing receiver, Lattimore has the long speed to stay in stride with wideouts and put himself in position to make plays on the ball. He is a finisher with a nose for the football who hits with force in the run game and deserves his status as one of the favorites to be taken by the 49ers with the No. 2 pick.

Malik Hooker

The 49ers’ new defense run by Robert Saleh requires a single-high safety, and the prototype for that position in this year’s class is Malik Hooker.

As with his Ohio State teammate Lattimore, inexperience is the knock on Hooker, but there is no doubting his sideline-to-sideline range, his recognition and read-react skills and his ability to go up and compete for the ball at its highest point.

Able to mirror and stay with quicker receivers and close quickly downhill in the run game, Hooker is a plug-and-play free safety who would allow Eric Reid to drop into the box and Jimmie Ward to stay at corner.

Solomon Thomas

Probably the biggest debate among 49ers fans during draft season — aside from the discussion surrounding the quarterback they should take — has been over whether Solomon Thomas is a fit on the new four-man defensive line.

Thomas may be too small to operate on the inside in a 4-3 and is unlikely to start in that position with Earl Mitchell set to play the 1-technique and DeForest Buckner lined up as a potential 3-tech.

It remains to be seen whether he has the quickness to hold up as a true edge rusher in a 4-3, but the evidence from his time at Stanford suggests he does.

While playing for the Cardinal Thomas demonstrated power and length as well as quickness, generating rapid penetration against both the run and the pass. With a swim move to win inside and impressive closing speed, Thomas — who also does a good job of disengaging from run blocks — should be able to have an influence in the pros.

Yet, with the Niners needing to accommodate Buckner and Arik Armstead and in need of a pass rusher who can bend, Thomas may not be a fit.

Reuben Foster

San Francisco is in dire need of some athleticism at linebacker to help out NaVorro Bowman, who may have lost another step after tearing his Achilles last season.

Malcolm Smith was one of the more underwhelming acquisitions of the free agency period and the 49ers could do worse than to take the player who could prove Bowman’s successor in Reuben Foster.

Having held up against receivers in the slot at Alabama, Foster is more than proficient enough to be deployed in coverage, can play sideline-to-sideline and attack downhill in a hurry. He is disciplined and rarely allows running backs to break contain, punishing ball-carriers upon contact.

At present, the 49ers linebacking core looks below par. Foster could change that and help extend Bowman’s career.

No. 6-11

Jamal Adams

Strong safeties rarely go in the top five but, by taking Adams, the Niners could give themselves a top-tier starter at the position for well into the next decade.

Adams would provide the 49ers with a tone-setter who can play down in the box and is athletic enough to cover in the slot and outside, but what sets him apart is his recognition skills.

Often seeming to know where the play is going before the ball is snapped, Adams was consistently the first man in the backfield for LSU. The 49ers need leadership and playmakers on defense, Adams would help in both areas and is an immediate upgrade on Reid.

Derek Barnett

Beyond Garrett, there is not an edge rusher worth taking with the No. 2 pick but, if the Niners move down within the top 10, then Derek Barnett should be on their radar.

Barnett lacks explosion and has struggled in converting his speed to power but, having been used on the defensive line, as a stand-up pass rusher and in coverage, where he has displayed surprising ball skills, heads into the NFL as a true three-down edge defender.

It is tough to ignore a player who has put up 32 sacks in three seasons in SEC and, if Barnett can continue to win with his strength and impressive hand-usage, he should continue to succeed in the pros.

Corey Davis

It would be quite fitting for the 49ers to take a receiver who has drawn comparisons to Terrell Owens, and Corey Davis is another obvious target should they trade down in the top 10.

Davis is blessed with the ideal size for a No. 1 receiver, the speed to take the top off defenses, the body control to make circus catches and can also pick up yards after the reception with elusiveness and by running over defenders.

The Niners have improved their receiving corps in free agency, but Davis could give them the game-changing No. 1 wideout they have lacked since Owens’ departure.

O.J. Howard

The value of the the tight end position has never been higher in the NFL and it is not rich to say that O.J. Howard has the skill set to go top 10.

He boasts an exceptional combination of size and speed, enabling him to stretch defenses down the seam. Howard has a large catch radius to haul in inaccurate passes and once he has the ball in his hands, can be extremely difficult to stop, as Clemson found out in the 2016 National Championship game.

Howard was under-used at Alabama, but that will not be the case in the NFL and he would be an extremely exciting weapon for Kyle Shanahan to work with.

Leonard Fournette

Does he have the pass-catching skills to be a three-down back? Will he be able to avoid injuries with his physical running style? There are plenty of concerns surrounding Leonard Fournette.

But that has not stopped talk of the 49ers taking him with the No. 2 overall pick.

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Selecting Fournette that high seems very rich, but the 49ers have seen what a generational running back can do for a franchise recently, with Ezekiel Elliott transforming the Cowboys’ fortunes.

Fournette is not as talented as Elliott but he has great vision and a rare combination of size and speed, which allows him to take it the distance from anywhere on the field.

Capable of running over defenders while also making them miss with hurdles and a spin move, it would not be that much of a shock if the Niners decided to take the keys to the backfield from Carlos Hyde and hand them to Fournette.

Mike Williams

He may not be as well-rounded as Davis, lacking the shiftiness after the catch and the speed to create consistent separation, but few receivers have caused college defenders as much problems as Clemson’s Mike Williams.

Williams uses his 6’4″ and 210-pound frame to excellent effect, boxing out defenders on routes over the middle and excelling at making contested catches with his leaping ability and catch radius.

The Niners could certainly use a receiver who can bully defenders in the endzone and haul in inaccurate passes, Williams would provide that.

Trade Down Options: No. 12-16

DeShone Kizer

Why didn’t he win enough games? Why did he have to time share with Malik Zaire? Does he have the confidence to succeed at the NFL level?

These are all genuine concerns surrounding DeShone Kizer but he remains the No. 1 QB in the eyes of many and the 49ers seem to have been pretty dialled in on him too.

GM John Lynch said Kizer “blew the doors off” in his Combine interview, and — per Niners Nation — has since had dinner with the QB, who has a fantastic arm and at his best can display poise in the pocket, touch, accuracy and mobility. It remains to be seen whether the 49ers believe they can get that out of him consistently.

Takkarist McKinley

He doesn’t bend consistently and is coming off a shoulder surgery, but Takk McKinley could be the answer to the 49ers’ problems on the edge with his size and speed.

With 10 sacks last season McKinley proved himself to be a destructive force off the edge but, if the Niners are in a position to take him, it just depends on whether they are ready to gamble on a defender whose preparations for the new season will be affected by his injury.

Patrick Mahomes

The great wildcard in the QB class, some love his game, others hate it. But there is no doubt his tape is fun.

The numbers, 41 touchdowns to 10 interceptions in 2016, are hard to argue with, as are Mahomes’ arm strength and ability to make unbelievable throws from any number of angles.

But the dissenting voices believe the mechanics are too bad for him to be turned into a successful NFL QB. We haven’t heard a peep as to what camp the 49ers are in.

Tre’Davious White

With Sidney Jones suffering an unfortunate Achilles injury, White may not go too far outside the top 10 and it is easy to see why.

White is a physical cover corner with outstanding anticipation and ball skills. He’s a tad smaller than today’s prototype at the position at 5’11” and can get overly grabby, however, the production — 34 pass deflections and six interceptions in his college career — should keep the 49ers interested.

Ahkello Witherspoon

For all the Richard Sherman trade talk in the NFL, it has gone largely unnoticed that there’s another Richard Sherman in the draft in the form of Ahkello Witherspoon.

He’s thin, had problems in run support and there will be questions around why he didn’t turn his 19 pass breakups in 2016 into more picks — he had just one interception last season — but Witherspoon is long and athletic and did an outstanding job against John Ross in the Pac12 title game.

Per The Niners Wire, the 49ers have met with Witherspoon, who allowed a completion percentage of just 26.5 percent last season, and they would be wise to act on their interest in the draft.

No. 17-21

Marlon Humphrey

Much like White, Humphrey excels in reading the game, and that will make him a dangerous proposition for opposing offenses given his 6’0″ size, and speed that enables to turn and run with wideouts and recover quickly when beaten.

Humphrey may be the best run defending corner in the draft, he attacks downhill and delivers vicious hits to running backs and blockers who dare to try set up screens. The 49ers could use some of that aggression on their defense.

Gareon Conley

There has been talk of Gareon Conley being the first corner off the board and, while there is certainly appeal in a 6’0″ player with 4.4 speed with ball skills and anticipation that helped him record four interceptions in 2016, the hype surrounding seems a little rich.

While he has no problem staying with receivers down the field and shows patience in staying square in press coverage, Conley frequently shows clunkiness in his hip turn and will allow himself to be beaten to the inside by wideouts.

Conley is not as complete of a cornerback as Lattimore is, but the 49ers certainly should be in the market for him in a potential scenario where they trade down.

Jordan Willis

He doesn’t bend but it really doesn’t matter because when you have Jordan Willis’ speed and power you are set up to succeed in the NFL.

With rip, swim and spin moves at his disposal, Willis has numerous ways to get to the quarterback and, if the 49ers find themselves in the mid-to-late section of the first, it would not be a reach to take a player with 31.5 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks in his final two collegiate seasons.

Christian McCaffrey

One of the more ludicrous stories of draft season has been the recently reported suggestion that some teams prefer Christian McCaffrey as a full-time receiver rather than running back.

Let’s put this to bed right now. McCaffrey is excellent as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, but he is a running back. He shows patience, burst, elite short-area quickness and enough speed to take it the distance.

Also able to hold up in pass protection, McCaffrey is a three-down back but could form a fine partnership with Carlos Hyde in an NFL where having a good one-two punch is a significant advantage.

Jonathan Allen

Jonathan Allen suffers from the same problem as Solomon Thomas in that it’s tough to know where he will fit on a prospective 49ers defensive front.

The logical answer is inside at the 3-tech spot but, as alluded to earlier, that position seems earmarked for Buckner.

Still, Allen boasts an exciting combination of quickness and power and is better off the edge than you would expect. It’s unlikely, but don’t completely rule out the 49ers considering him.

No. 22-25

John Ross

There is concern over Ross’ medical history with the Washington speedster having injured both knees in college, but he deserves to firmly in the first round conversation having a set a Combine-record time of 4.22 seconds in the 40.

San Francisco has a speedster in Marqise Goodwin but could certainly use another receiver who can take the top off defenses and proved a nightmare for defensive backs — catching 81 balls for 1150 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2016 — and can have an impact out of the backfield and as a returner.

DeShaun Watson

A National Champion who has twice performed at his best on the biggest stage, in any other year it may be a surprise to see doubts about where DeShaun Watson will be drafted.

But the concerns are valid, he makes bad decisions forcing the ball into traffic and, though claims about him being a one-read quarterback are false, he does still need to improve going through progressions.

Yet Watson can make an impact through the air and on the ground, has shown great poise under pressure and has the arm to throw with both velocity and touch. He is a prime candidate for the 49ers should they trade down or trade back into the first round.

Mitchell Trubisky

There is every chance Mitchell Trubisky is the first quarterback off the board, and that is testament to the play he produced in his sole season at the controls of the North Carolina offense.

He needs to improve his footwork, the deep accuracy is inconsistent and Trubisky also needs to work on reading defenses but when he is on form, he is a joy to watch.

Trubisky throws consistently with timing and has the arm to complete passes at all levels. He excels at threading the needle on tight-window throws and can do so on the run, showing the escapability to evade pressure.

In all likelihood he will be gone by pick 12 but the 49ers must consider making a move to strike if he is not.

Cam Robinson

Forget talk of Cam Robinson projecting as a guard at the next level, he is a tackle, and a very good one at that.

He may not be the most athletic of linemen, but his mammoth 6’6″ and 310-pound frame means he only needs to take a few lateral steps to widen edge rushers and lead them behind the quarterback.

Robinson has long and strong arms that allow him to consistently win the leverage battle and it is almost impossible to beat him with the bull rush. The 49ers only need to watch Robinson’s extremely impressive tape against Garrett to know he is worth their time as a possible mid-to-late first-round pick.

No. 26-29

Ryan Ramczyk

If the 49ers are looking for a more athletic linemen, which would make more sense for Kyle Shanahan’s system, then Ryan Ramczyk would be a sound option.

Ramczyk has light feet to allow him to mirror pass rushers and does an extremely good job of getting off the ball, pulling to the outside and getting to the second level in the run game.

Going forward Ramczyk would be well served to avoid getting into more hand-fighting matchups and lock on more consistently, as well as generating better push in the run game. However, Shanahan and the 49ers have to be intrigued by his mobility.

Zach Cunningham

If the Niners are not comfortable taking Foster with the No. 2 overall pick, then Cunningham is a viable alternative should they find themselves dropping down or moving back into the first round.

The leader in tackles in the SEC in 2016, numbers that owed to his excellent read-and-react skills and his ability to quickly close downhill to ball-carriers. He has also held up in coverage against tailbacks and tight ends and demonstrated an ability to drive to the ball to make pass breakups.

Cunningham needs to stop whiffing high on tackles but his status as a potential first-round is deserved given his all-round game.

Tim Williams

Explosion off the snap, bend and closing speed, it is not difficult to see why Tim Williams racked up 18.5 sacks in his last two seasons with Alabama.

There is a chance Williams could be available in the second round but, with his ability to play at defensive end and outside linebacker, taking him late in the first would not be a stretch.

Despite not being able to translate speed to power consistently and lacking nuance as a pass rusher, Williams would be an excellent addition to a defense desperately lacking game-changers on defense.

Forrest Lamp

The 49ers traded back into the first round to pick a guard last year and, while it would not be a popular move, it would not be the worst idea to do the same again to get Forrest Lamp.

Lamp played tackle at Western Kentucky but does not have the frame for that position in the NFL, lacking long arms and a wide base.

But he brings a nastiness to his run-blocking and boasts hugely impressive athleticism that allows him to be a force when pulling to the outside and getting to the second level.

Next: Make Niner Noise Your Home for All 49ers Coverage in the 2017 NFL Draft

The Niners need to improve the interior, and Lamp and Joshua Garnett would give them a pair of athletic guards who can at least positively impact the run game.