San Francisco 49ers: Final 4-round mock ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
9. player. 42. . EDGE. Boston College. Harold Landry
Even for the “analysts” who would argue this pick, it was a bit surprising to see linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and Roquan Smith already off the board by the time the 49ers select at No. 9.
San Francisco 49ers
With linebacker Reuben Foster’s legal situation an uncertainty for San Francisco, it makes sense to grab an inside backer. But the value isn’t quite there at this spot, and the Niners may look to address another key area of need anyway.
A big one is the pass rush, or lack thereof. Last year, San Francisco finished tied for 26th with 30 sacks. The team’s leading pass-rusher from 2017, EDGE Elvis Dumervil, is no longer with the team.
That leaves a glaring hole, and one John Lynch and Co. fill by adding Boston College’s Harold Landry.
Landry’s 16.5-sack junior campaign would have made him a bona fide top-10 selection had he come out after 2016. He didn’t, though, and a nagging ankle injury limited Landry to 8.5 sacks his senior year.
Not bad, but the 49ers are clearly hoping for the previous efforts to show up at the NFL level.
And for those wondering if San Francisco should grab a cornerback at this point, the team will wait until later.