Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Reevaluating 6 team needs in the 2018 NFL Draft

By Peter Panacy

Commissioner Roger Goodell names a pick by the San Francisco 49ers during the 2016 NFL Draft (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
Commissioner Roger Goodell names a pick by the San Francisco 49ers during the 2016 NFL Draft (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 7
Next
SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 17: Quarterback Brian Hoyer #2 of the San Francisco 49ers throws before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on September 17, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 17: Quarterback Brian Hoyer #2 of the San Francisco 49ers throws before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on September 17, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /

No. 1: Quarterback

If you’re of the mindset the 49ers are going to aggressively pursue current Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins when he hits free agency in 2018, you can probably cross this need off the list.

Until that happens, though, the Niners need a long-term fixture to take over for Brian Hoyer.

Hoyer has tossed three interceptions over three games thus far — hard to believe, when considering he threw zero picks on 200 passes with the Chicago Bears last season. Nevertheless, Hoyer isn’t the answer, rather just a stopgap option.

Fortunately for San Francisco, and all the other teams in need of a quarterback, the 2018 draft class is pretty deep at quarterback. There are likely to be a few options within the top five, as well as some later choices of value in Rounds 2 or 3.

More from Niner Noise

True, head coach Kyle Shanahan might want to develop rookie QB C.J. Beathard into a possible starter.

Beathard had his moments during the preseason — both good and bad — but it’s not likely Shanahan throws the young signal-caller into the mix anytime soon.

And we don’t know if Beathard would be a worthy option anyway. Remember, a number of draft analysts pegged Beathard as a career backup.

Next: Trent Baalke's 20 best NFL Draft picks with the 49ers

Either way, there’s a very real chance the Niners use their first pick in 2018 to select a quarterback.