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San Francisco 49ers: Biggest winners & losers from the 2018 NFL Draft

By Peter Panacy

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays an image of Mike McGlinchey of Notre Dame after he was picked #9 overall by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays an image of Mike McGlinchey of Notre Dame after he was picked #9 overall by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – OCTOBER 01: Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner #99 and defensive end Arik Armstead #91 of the San Francisco 49ers react after a defensive stop during the second half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – OCTOBER 01: Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner #99 and defensive end Arik Armstead #91 of the San Francisco 49ers react after a defensive stop during the second half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Loser: The 49ers Pass Rush

OK, it could work. It’s possible San Francisco’s on-roster options, free-agent pickups and late-round NFL Draft additions on defense help supplement what was a woeful pass rush last year. This includes Cassius Marsh

You know, the one that tied for 26th in the league with just 30 sacks.

One of the drawbacks of targeting offensive players early was the 49ers had to pass on the few upper-echelon pass-rushers available in this year’s draft class. The ones in the Niners’ range — Boston College’s Harold Landry, UTSA’s Marcus Davenport or LSU’s Arden Key — went elsewhere.

And it’s possible the lack of early attention could come back to haunt the defense.

A quality pass-rusher can be nearly as important as a franchise quarterback. Teams either have one, or they’re on the look for one.

Right now, the Niners either have other teams’ castoffs, improper fits or unproven commodities at the edge-rush spots. Maybe the 49ers are able to engineer a solid pass rush with what they have, but the more question marks and maybes the team has, the greater the chance for some serious problems.

Next: 49ers' 2018 NFL Draft tracker with grades & analysis

And San Francisco’s defense could suffer a lot as a result.