While the 2018 NFL Draft is a long ways away, the San Francisco 49ers are certainly going to be in need of a lot of talent to set the stage for the rebuild’s next phase.
The San Francisco 49ers are off to a 0-3 start this season, and the vast majority of feel-good feelings stemming from last offseason have given way to the reality this will be a long-term rebuild.
Yes, general manager John Lynch’s first draft was pretty successful. But there’s no way he could have turned the team’s fortunes around in one year.
With all this in mind, it’s never too early to start thinking about what the Niners’ needs will be in the 2018 NFL Draft.
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco is expected to have a pretty high pick, perhaps within the top five.
Here’s the list of total 49ers picks, courtesy of David Fucillo of Niners Nation:
"1st: Own pick 2nd: Own pick 2nd: Saints pick (49ers dealt 2016 3rd to land this + 2016 7th round picks) 3rd: Own pick 3rd: Bears pick (Acquired in Bears move up for Mitchell Trubisky) 4th: Steelers pick (Acquired in Vance McDonald trade) 6th: Own pick 7th: Own pick 7th: Chiefs pick (Acquired in Kenneth Acker trade)"
So let’s take a look at what San Francisco’s needs should be this upcoming spring.
No. 6: Running Back
This position is a bit up in the air, as a lot could change between now and the draft. But running back might be a pressing position of need heading into 2018 because of this.
No. 1 tailback Carlos Hyde is in a contract year and is set to be a free agent. He’s enjoying some prowess within head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense thus far but, as we all know, injuries have largely hindered his impact over his San Francisco duration.
At 26 years old, Hyde is probably good for another three years, or so, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him want to sign elsewhere with a contender.
The Niners drafted former Utah running back Joe Williams in Round 4 in this year’s draft. Yet Williams didn’t exactly look great in training camp and the preseason, and an ankle injury forced the rookie onto season-ending injured reserve.
Williams could wind up being the guy taking over for Hyde next year, but that’s a pretty big question mark right now.
Or it could be undrafted free agent Matt Breida, who flashed some promise during the preseason and over the first three weeks.
Running back isn’t as pressing a need as other positions, so that’s why it’s at the bottom of the list. Yet it’s a position the Niners shouldn’t avoid considering altogether.
No. 5: Pass-Rusher
The 49ers have just three sacks over the first three games of 2017, ranking next to last in overall NFL standings.
That’s bad, especially for a team that invested so heavily in its defensive front seven the past three seasons.
The problem is San Francisco doesn’t have an elite-level pass-rusher capable of regularly pressuring the quarterback. A number of EDGE players, like Elvis Dumervil and Aaron Lynch, are decent. But top-tier pass-rushers are like quarterbacks in many ways — there’s a sharp drop off after the top-level ones.
The 2017 NFL Draft was deep with pass-rushers, but general manager John Lynch avoided selecting one until taking Pita Taumoepenu in Round 6. There were simply too many other needs elsewhere.
In the meantime, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh might have to scheme pressure on opposing quarterbacks. But it would be nice if the Niners landed a true pass-rusher to alleviate some of the pressure on the supporting defensive cast.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see Lynch use a pick between Rounds 1 and 3 to address this need.
No. 4: Cornerback
So much for former general manager Trent Baalke’s efforts to stockpile cornerbacks.
San Francisco has just one proven corner on its roster this season, Rashard Robinson, and even he hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype generated early in his rookie season.
Thus far, Robinson has posted a 34.9 overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus, and an also-lowly 34.6 pass-coverage mark. Those aren’t good numbers by any interpretation, and one might start wondering if he’s actually a long-term answer.
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The 49ers also drafted former Colorado cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon in Round 3 of this year’s draft. But after a slow start to training camp, Witherspoon has found himself inactive for all three games the Niners have played.
It’s possible San Francisco is easing its third-round investment into life at the NFL level — we’ve seen rookie defensive backs struggle early before — although the fact Witherspoon hasn’t worked his way into an active spot is a bit concerning.
So, if Robinson and/or Witherspoon continue to struggle, this need suddenly rises to the top of John Lynch’s wish list.
No. 3: Wide Receiver
San Francisco completely overhauled its crop of wide receivers from last season, even parting ways with its leading receiver in 2016, Jeremy Kerley.
As of now, veteran wideout Pierre Garçon is serving as the team’s No. 1 passing target. That’s fine, especially considering his 142 yards on seven receptions in Week 3. But at 31 years old, Garçon is little more than a short-term option at best. Ideally, the Niners would be using him as a No. 2 target, not a featured receiver.
We still haven’t seen the dynamic playmaking abilities from wide receiver Marquise Goodwin either, aside from the preseason.
And while rookie wideout Trent Taylor has some promise working out of the slot, it’s pretty easy to see how San Francisco’s offense could benefit from a true top-tier receiver on the outside. Right now, the offense is getting by with some No. 2 and No. 3 guys.
It is important to note head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense predicates speed and the ability to get guys open via scheme.
So any 49ers targets have to be excellent route-runners and have the reliability to create separation while working within the system.
No. 2: Offensive Line
The 49ers could probably stand for upgrades at four of the five starting offensive line positions in 2018.
Despite some questions about his scheme fit, right tackle Trent Brown has done a worthy job, posting an 83.5 overall grade this season, per Pro Football Focus.
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Left tackle Joe Staley is aging, although that’s a problem San Francisco might want to push off for 2019 or later.
That narrows the 49ers’ needs down to the three interior O-line positions.
Center Daniel Kilgore is a pending free agent. And while he has held his own the last three seasons, an injury history might convince general manager John Lynch to look elsewhere. Perhaps the answer is undrafted free agent Erik Magnuson, but that’s a lot to ask from a player likely best suited for a backup role.
The guard spots are troubling.
Second-year guard Joshua Garnett, who struggled his rookie season, ended up on season-ending injured reserve with a knee injury. It might be a bit premature to write off the former first-round draft pick right now, but his development is certainly far behind.
San Francisco also brought in another former first-round draft pick, Laken Tomlinson, via a trade earlier this offseason. He’s been an upgrade over Zane Beadles for two games. But with a 38.0 overall PFF grade, it’s not by much.
As such, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Niners invest an early pick to address the O-line concerns.
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.
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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.