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San Francisco 49ers: Possible trade-up, trade-down targets for the NFL Draft

By Jeremy Wohlfart

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: A detailed view of the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: A detailed view of the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /
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Pick No. 26 to No. 32: Rashaan Evans, Linebacker, Alabama

What’s better than having one Alabama linebacker tearing up defenses? How about two?

Rashaan Evans is, in my view, a very underappreciated prospect. He does everything fairly well and was one of the standouts on a packed Crimson Tide defense. With the First Pick had this to say:

"Rashaan Evans is a do-everything linebacker prospect who makes a constant impact on the game. He brings a physical presence to the field by delivering big hits. Evans also uses his speed to make plays from sideline to sideline. In the run game, Evans plays downhill and doesn’t hesitate to take on blocks. He does a great job rolling his hips into the blocker and creating a jolt. This provides him with room to attack and make the tackle. Evans also has the quickness to work around blocks in space. He is a big hitter who approaches his target under control. Evans isn’t someone who will surrender yards after contact nor miss many tackles. His overall value is increased thanks to his ability to hold up in coverage. Evans drops in coverage with great balance, keeps his head on a swivel and quickly closes on the ball. He also has the speed to stick with tight ends, running backs and some receivers."

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Sounds like a worthy pick at the end of the first round to me.

They could also consider

Offensive tackle Kolton Miller had a great season at UCLA after being moved to protect Josh Rosen’s blindside. Joe Staley can’t play forever, and Trent Brown is coming off injury, so maybe the 49ers will look to the future and draft a talent who can protect Jimmy Garoppolo’s blindside for the rest of his career.

CBS Sports had this to say:

"Per Pro Football Focus, Miller allowed just 15 quarterback pressures (two sacks, eight hits, five hurries) on 544 pass-block snaps in 2017, which was good for the site’s 10th-best Pass-Block Efficiency score among 121 qualifying offensive tackles. In a pass-happy NFL, Miller’s pass-blocking prowess will likely be the main reason he’s picked in the first round."

Next: 5 Senior Bowl prospects the 49ers should target in the 2018 NFL Draft

It would be very savvy to trade either way back, or back into, the first round to take Miller.