Now that Super Bowl LII is over, the San Francisco 49ers can focus on next season to become next year’s NFL champions. Here’s how they can improve their chances with this full seven-round mock draft.
Well… it’s over.
The 2017 NFL season has come and gone, and it was disappointing for me because the San Francisco 49ers didn’t win the Super Bowl. Many Niner fans will say that the season was a success because of the acquisition of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and the nice build-up of chemistry that occurred between the team’s rookies this season.
While I agree with that, every season that the 49ers don’t win the Super Bowl is automatically considered a disappointment.
Here’s what the 49ers can do this April in the 2018 NFL Draft to have the best chance of not making next season a disappointment for me.
And hopefully you as well.
Round 1, Pick No. 13 (Trade Down): Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds
Here we have another John Lynch trade-down special!
Tremaine Edmunds is the best linebacker in the NFL Draft. And yes, I’ll admit it, I didn’t know about this prospect until NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, Lance Zierlein and Bucky Brooks all mocked Edmunds to the 49ers in the first round.
I was naturally intrigued, like many other fans, and watched a lot of tape on the Virginia Tech star linebacker. And what I saw just made me think, “How is this kid not a household name already?”
Edmunds reminds me of former Niners linebacker NaVorro Bowman in his prime. He possesses incredible instincts because he is always near the ball. He can shed blocks and hits with power.
With his 250-pound frame, Edmunds looks like a slow linebacker, but has deceptively nice closing speed to stop whoever he is targeting. Drafting Edmunds would make the 49ers’ front seven dominant. Reuben Foster and Tremaine Edmunds could be the next great linebacker duo in football.
This might change as the offseason progresses, but I think that the 49ers could trade down to No. 13 and still snag Edmunds in the draft. Even with Jeremiah, Zierlein and Brooks’ mock drafts, Edmunds is still being slept on by the media, which can impact teams’ draft choices.
Trading down to get some extra picks (landing assets in 2019) and a great linebacker would be another incredible move by general manager Lynch.
Round 2, Pick No. 27: Center Billy Price
Drafting Ohio State center Billy Price late in the second round would be a classic John Lynch steal. And it very well could happen. Just like Edmunds, many NFL Draft experts are sleeping on Price, expecting him to be drafted in the second to third round.
Price is a little below-average sized for an NFL center, coming in at 6-foot-4 and 312 pounds. However, size does not matter for him. He does not let go of his blocks easily and constantly gets solid push on the defensive line — the most important quality any offensive lineman can have.
Just watch his tape versus Iowa this year and tell me you don’t see a NFL-starter capable lineman:
I actually have a first-round grade on Price because of how dominating he is at the line of scrimmage. The veteran, Daniel Kilgore, has been a serviceable option at center, but Price would be a huge upgrade and a bargain at the end of the second round of the draft.
Round 3, Pick No. 6: Running Back Rashaad Penny
I’ve been a fan of San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny ever since I first laid eyes on his tape — not because of just how good he is, but because of the amount of value he brings to the table.
Penny has been mocked to go in the third round almost universally by draft experts. I have a high second-round grade on him, and I think that he is in the top-five running back conversation of this strong draft class.
I think Saquon Barkley (Penn State), Ronald Jones (USC) and Sony Michel (Georgia) are all prospects better than Penny right now.
However, Penny has just as much upside as any of them.
Penny has the capability to be a three-down back in the NFL. He comes in at 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds, which is pretty much the prototypical size for a running back. Penny is a bruising back, often lowering his shoulder and breaking tackles, but also has surprising patience as well, allowing blockers to set up lanes for him to run through. And once he finds a lane through that hole, it’s pretty much over. Penny has nice burst and deceptive speed to fly past secondaries.
Penny would serve as a great replacement for the Niners’ Carlos Hyde, who hits free agency this offseason. The prospect can catch the ball with ease, which is always great for Kyle Shanahan’s system. Penny is what I think is the epitome of a Shanahan back — a mid-to-late round sleeper. who will be insanely productive in the system.
All in all, Penny has enormous upside to become an elite back in the NFL, and the 49ers cannot pass on that.
Round 3, Pick No. 10: Cornerback Anthony Averett
Underrated. That’s the best word you could use to describe Alabama cornerback Anthony Averett.
Averett was a huge part of leading Alabama to a National Championship win this season. He served as the Crimson Tide’s No. 1 cornerback and consistently shut down opposing wide receivers.
When you watch Averett play, it’s like watching someone play offense against an All-Madden level defense. In case you didn’t know, playing against All-Madden defense is like having the corners stick to the receivers like Super Glue. Receivers do not get open against All-Madden defense.
Averett is All-Madden defense.
The downside to Averett is that he is relatively small for a corner at 6-foot-0 and 185 pounds. His frame could be easily taken advantage of by big receivers, but his coverage skills and instincts as a cornerback are too good. It may be harder for him when tasked with covering tall receivers, but I believe that he will find a way to shut them down.
The 49ers desperately need cornerbacks. Dontae Johnson will most likely become a free agent, which leaves San Francisco with Ahkello Witherspoon and… nobody else at outside corner.
Averett would complete the secondary and make opposing quarterbacks hard to pass on the steadily improving unit.
Round 4, Pick No. 28: Linebacker Uchenna Nwosu
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. I will never forget standing on the USC sideline at the Pac-12 Championship watching Uchenna Nwosu stopping the Stanford running back on 4th-and-goal, making a game-changing play for the Trojans and leading them to victory.
It was a great play by Nwosu that gave him a lot of recognition. But really, he’s been doing it all year for the Trojans. Nwosu has been terrorizing opposing offensive lines against the run and the pass all season long. He plays with this fierce intensity and possesses high level of competition that gives him this amazing speed on the field.
Nwosu plays with a high motor and great toughness — characteristics John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan like in a player. It’s hard not to see him as a great fit on the 49ers, who need to quickly replace Eli Harold at outside linebacker.
Round 5, Pick No. 6: Wide Receiver Tre’Quan Smith
UCF wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith has a good chance to be the next JuJu Smith-Schuster. And no, it’s not because they have the same last name. Sort of
I was very disappointed when the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Smith-Schuster just a couple picks before the 49ers’ third-round pick a year ago. I knew that he was going to be a productive receiver in the NFL. I have the same feeling about Tre’Quan Smith.
Smith is 6-foot-1, but plays like a 6-foot-3 receiver. He is a jump-ball threat, exactly what the 49ers need. But he’s not just a one-trick pony. Smith runs great routes and has surprisingly decent speed to create separation in the secondary.
Smith-Schuster ended up the best receiver in last year’s NFL Draft class, but was drafted at the end of the second round. Since this year’s receiver draft class is incredible, I do not think Smith will be the best receiver in the draft, but still possesses sky-high upside.
Picking a receiver brimming with potential in the fifth round? Count me in.
Round 6, Pick No. 10: Wide Receiver Equanimeous St. Brown
Another receiver? Are you crazy, Aaron? I can’t even pronounce or spell his name!
Trust me. Once you get past his first name, what you will find is a hidden gem in a great receiver class. St. Brown is 6-foot-5, and while that is one of the reasons I like the guy, the Notre Dame receiver is so much more than that.
St. Brown comes from a family full of receiver talent, with two brothers Amon-Ra (who I’ve reported on live at a Mater Dei game) and Osiris going to Division 1 schools (USC and Stanford, respectively). You can bet there is competition for best receiver title in the family, and there’s motivation to always work hard and play better coming from the St. Brown family roots.
St. Brown is blazing fast. You can see it on the tape — he has great game speed, blazing past defenders whenever he catches the ball. He also breaks tackles with ease and is always dangerous after the catch. His route running can be improved, but with NFL coaching, St. Brown can easily polish it up to create more separation from defenders.
When you can get a 6-foot-5 receiver that runs like he’s current 49ers speedster Marquise Goodwin in the sixth round, you just don’t pass that opportunity up.
Round 7, Pick No. 9: Linebacker Shaquem Griffin
UCF linebacker Shaquem Griffin is the feel-good story of the draft. He lost his left hand during his childhood because of a medical condition and just led his defense to a perfect season — the only perfect season in college football last year.
But Griffin’s more than just a feel-good story. He is an excellent football player even with just one hand. Griffin is fast, has the ability to shed through blocks easily and is a hard hitter. He plays with incredible toughness and instincts resemblant of an elite linebacker. If he had both of his hands, Griffin would be a surefire first-round pick.
Although it may be harder for him to snag interceptions or wrap up to finish tackles, Griffin has all the qualities of a great defensive player. For him to battle through this type of adversity is telling of his work ethic as a player. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch love players like Griffin and would not hesitate to pick him up this late in the draft.
Round 7, Pick No. 22: Defensive End Garret Dooley
It may seem odd to hear this, but how linemen use their hands dictate who wins in the trenches. Defensive end Garret Dooley knows how to use them.
Dooley isn’t explosive. He isn’t a dominant force coming off the edge. But can anyone really find explosive defensive linemen in the seventh round?
Not really.
But Dooley is a solid player, who utilizes his hands to rush the quarterback, and he does it well. The Badger can disengage off offensive linemen easily, so in the case that the quarterback moves around in the pocket, Dooley can get home and sack the quarterback easily.
Dooley may just be a depth signing, but he does have some potential.
Next: Bleacher Report ranks Jimmy Garoppolo 13th best QB
The San Francisco defense needs a pass rush, and Dooley can certainly help them with that.