Niner Noise explores five sleeper picks the San Francisco 49ers should consider in the 2018 NFL Draft, maximizing value in the later rounds of draft day this upcoming April.
The San Francisco 49ers own nine picks for the 2018 NFL Draft. Six of those selections fall on day three of the draft, between Rounds 4 and 7, on April 28.
Almost all the hype and attention focuses on the first round, or two, on draft day. This is where you’ll see most mocks and high-profile prospects broken down by team need.
While important, it’s equally as crucial to land value and sleeper picks on the later rounds.
San Francisco 49ers
Case in point, the Niners grabbed former Miami defensive back Adrian Colbert with their final pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. Colbert ended up being a steal, eventually earning a starting job at free safety and in prime position to retain that role in 2018.
Tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Trent Taylor (both taken in Round 5 a year ago) also made general manager John Lynch look pretty smart.
Those sleepers are out there, and it’s worth breaking down some lesser-known talent as San Francisco prepares to add more rookie talent for the upcoming season.
In this slideshow, we’ll explore five sleeper targets the 49ers should consider this NFL Draft. For the sake of consistency, we’ll stick with prospects projected to go in Round 5 or later — the latter rounds of the draft.
Can San Francisco tab some more gems?
Perhaps, if these names are on the radar.
Note: All scouting reports those of Niner Noise unless otherwise indicated.
No. 5: Offensive Tackle Alex Cappa, Humboldt State
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The 49ers are going to need to think about their offensive tackle position at some point sooner than later.
Left tackle Joe Staley is aging, and right tackle Trent Brown is either in line for a lucrative extension or may not figure into the team’s long-term plans — a question brought up by 2017 injuries last season.
The good news is San Francisco won’t have to invest heavily at this spot right away, meaning they can take a mid-to-late-round flier on a player it would like to develop.
One player to watch is left tackle Alex Cappa out of Humboldt State.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller listed Cappa as one of his late-round sleeper picks, and here’s what he had to say about him:
"A standout at a small school, Alex Cappa has the tools to be a starter in the NFL within a season or two. The good news is he’s already working with famed offensive line coach LeCharles Bentley in his preparation for the Senior Bowl and the NFL draft. To go from Humboldt to the NFL, you need a little extra help, but Cappa has the foundation to be very good and is now getting the right guidance."
The small-school pedigree is a major reason why NFLdraftscout.com lists him as a Round 5 or 6 prospect. But with an invite to the 2018 Senior Bowl should give him a chance to compete in front of a larger stage and showcase his talents.
If Cappa holds up well versus the competition, he might be worth an extended look on draft day.
No. 4: Defensive Back Kameron Kelly, San Diego State
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Another player on Matt Miller’s list of sleepers is San Diego State defensive back Kameron Kelly.
And here’s what Miller had to say about this 6-foot-2, 200-pound prospect:
"With the build of a safety (6’2″, 200 lbs) and experience at every spot in the secondary, Kameron Kelly has the versatility to be a matchup player in NFL secondaries. Teams running the Seattle-style defense (Jacksonville, Atlanta, San Francisco) should be all over Kelly given his ability to play outside cornerback at 6’2″ and with the length to jam up receivers at the line of scrimmage."
The scheme fit is something to note, as the 49ers’ Cover 3 single-high scheme requires players to operate in plenty of one-on-one coverages.
His body type is adequate enough to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage, so we don’t have to worry about physicality. And he has the conversion speed adequate enough to double as a free safety if need be.
This fits San Francisco’s depth needs too, as the team could possibly be moving on from veteran safety Eric Reid (free agency) and might move fellow defensive back Jimmie Ward down to cornerback.
Or, if the Niners so choose, Kelly might be a nice addition to supply depth at corner behind presumed starter Ahkello Witherspoon.
I’ve seen Kelly ranked on draft boards between Rounds 3 and 5, so a late-round draft grade provides more than enough value if Kelly falls.
No. 3: Running Back Mark Walton, Miami
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Head coach Kyle Shanahan and running backs coach Bobby Turner have a knack for finding late-round gems at the position and developing them into top-tier performers.
And with the 49ers’ No. 1 tailback, Carlos Hyde, possibly leaving via free agency, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the duo take a similar approach again in this year’s draft.
One name to watch outside of the numerous Rounds 1 through 3 prospects is Miami (FL) running back Mark Walton, who averaged 5.1 yards per carry over his three collegiate seasons. His junior campaign was off to a promising start before an ankle injury cut his 2017 campaign to just five games.
This certainly hurts his draft stock. But his positive attributes are more than enough to make him a fit in Shanahan’s offense.
As seen in the video below, Walton has excellent cutback ability and a strong sense to diagnose openings in the offensive line:
His 5-foot-9, 205-pound frame is slightly larger than that of No. 2 49ers tailback, Matt Breida, which offers the Niners offense a bit more of a physical intimidating, hard-hitting option.
So, if San Francisco doesn’t wind up with a top-tier tailback in early rounds, going with Walton as a fall-back option isn’t a bad idea at all.
No. 2: Wide Receiver Jaleel Scott, New Mexico State
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Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense is predicated more on speed and separation than physicality. It’s one of the reasons the 49ers boasted the NFL’s shortest crop of wide receivers in 2017.
This offense finally gained some rhythm over the second half of the season, but it didn’t eliminate red-zone problems. At the year’s conclusion, the Niners finished 27th in red-zone scoring efficiency, per TeamRankings.com.
What’s needed is a big mistmatch threat, and New Mexico State wideout Jaleel Scott provides that.
At 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, Scott’s small-school pedigree shouldn’t be too much to worry about. NFLDraftScout.com lists him as a Round 4 or 5 prospect, meaning he could fall right into San Francisco’s collective lap on day three.
Scott doesn’t exactly possess breakneck speed, though, although his long strides make for good acceleration and the ability to get behind defensive backs. A strong showing at the NFL Scouting Combine might result in a boost in draft stock. But for now, he remains a sleeper.
One of the things to be worried about with Scott is his transition to Shanahan’s complex system, which requires precise route-running to maximize separation.
Scott’s physical stature didn’t require him to do this at New Mexico State, as he was more inclined to use his size to box out defenders on contested catches. That’s something to watch, but there’s little doubt Scott could be a major X-factor.
No. 1: EDGE Hercules Mata’afa, Washington State
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Washington State EDGE Hercules Mata’afa might be seen as something of a tweener, currently listed at 6-foot-2 and 252 pounds.
And there’s plenty of speculation where he’ll be drafted. Some boards list him as high as a Round 2 selection, while others have him falling all the way to Round 6. Diagnosing the exact fit is probably why Mata’afa could fall, as he doesn’t exactly have one pure position within a defensive front.
Yet Fourth and Nine’s Dylan DeSimone tabbed Mata’afa as a favorite target for 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh:
Why, exactly?
Well, this Pro Football Focus scouting report before the 2017 began might help provide some answers:
"Mata’afa was also solid rushing the passer from the outside. His pass-rush productivity grade of 13.9 from the left and 6.0 from the right side of the defensive line ranked him No. 4 and No. 8, respectively. His overall pass-rush productivity grade was a 11.8, No. 4 among draft-eligible DIs."
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San Francisco already has a nice crop of interior pass-rushers — DeForest Buckner and, with development, Solomon Thomas at the left defensive end (the big end, 5-technique). What’s needed is a true edge bender off the other side.
This is where Mata’afa comes in. While he’s not particularly sharp against the run, his ability to diversify his pass-rushing moves and collapse the pocket from the outside make him a worthy target.
Especially if value can be maximized in the later rounds.
Next: 5 prospects the 49ers can target in Round 1 of the NFL Draft
And with the 49ers finishing 26th in the league with 30 sacks last year, it isn’t as if the need doesn’t exist.