Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: 7-round mock for 2018 NFL Draft, version 2.0

By Peter Panacy

Commissioner Roger Goodell with San Francisco 49ers #10 draft pick Michael Crabtree (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
Commissioner Roger Goodell with San Francisco 49ers #10 draft pick Michael Crabtree (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 01: Tray Matthews #28 of the Auburn Tigers reacts in the first half against the UCF Knights during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 1, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 01: Tray Matthews #28 of the Auburn Tigers reacts in the first half against the UCF Knights during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 1, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

240. player. 42. . Defensive Back. Auburn. Tray Matthews

Auburn defensive back Tray Matthews’ collegiate career didn’t get off on the right foot, following an arrest at Georgia and subsequent dismissal from the program.

“That was just too much coming at me as a true freshman,” Matthews said last month, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Physical-wise I was mature, but mentally I wasn’t there. A lot of the (NFL) teams understand. That was a mistake. I’ve moved on. That was in the past.”

Since that point, Matthews has emerged as a leader of Auburn’s stout defense.

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On tape, the 6-foot-1 and 209 pounder looks more the part of a safety than cornerback, although he has experience playing both. In a 4-3 scheme, he’d likely be more of an in-the-box safety, making him a perfect backup for incumbent veteran, Jaquiski Tartt, who missed half of 2017 with a broken forearm.

General manager John Lynch struck gold with seventh-round defensive back Adrian Colbert a year ago.

Colbert assumed a starting job, and Matthews appears to have the skill set to at least compete for the primary role down low.

Next: Trade-up, trade-down targets for the 49ers in 2018 NFL Draft

The 2018 NFL Draft kicks off on Apr. 26 from AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.