Niner Noise
FanSided

2017 NFL Draft: The Top 32 Prospects and How the 49ers Are Linked to Each

By Peter Panacy

May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; A general view of the stage and podium before the start of the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; A general view of the stage and podium before the start of the 2014 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
10 of 34
Next
Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive end Derek Barnett (9) and Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Avery Gennesy (65) in action during the game at Kyle Field. The Aggies defeat the Volunteers 45-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive end Derek Barnett (9) and Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Avery Gennesy (65) in action during the game at Kyle Field. The Aggies defeat the Volunteers 45-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 9: Defensive End Derek Barnett, Tennessee

There aren’t any reports of the 49ers bringing in Tennessee edge rusher Derek Barnett in for a visit, nor is there a lot of speculative interest.

Still, Barnett to San Francisco could make a lot of sense.

Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuinness recently mocked Barnett to the Niners at No. 2 overall. In a nutshell, Barnett is a poor person’s Myles Garrett — exceptional in the pass rush, as this Sam Monson tweet illustrates:

Barnett would fit into the 49ers LEO role in a 4-3 base, the spot usually occupied by a right defensive end.

This is where the team’s best pass-rusher is situated, and the Niners currently have Aaron Lynch — 1.5 sacks last year — penciled in at the spot.