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San Francisco 49ers: Why EDGE wasn’t addressed in 2018 NFL Draft

By Florito Maniego

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: General Manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers looks on from the sidelines during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: General Manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers looks on from the sidelines during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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The San Francisco 49ers did not address their pass rushing needs in this year’s NFL Draft. Let’s discuss why general manager John Lynch and the front office passed on drafting an EDGE.

Heading into the 2018 NFL Draft, the edge position was one of the San Francisco 49ers‘ most glaring needs.

In 2017, the Niners defense only accumulated 30 total sacks, which ranked sixth least in the league. The team’s sack leader was veteran defensive end Elvis Dumervil, who recorded 6.5 sacks that same season.

Despite drafting defensive linemen in the first round for three consecutive years, the 49ers still struggled in the trenches. San Francisco drafted Arik Armstead in 2015, DeForest Buckner in 2016 and Solomon Thomas in 2017.

“Were we averse to adding to it? Not at all. That’s just kind of the way the draft fell.” – John Lynch on the 49ers not getting a pass-rusher in the NFL Draft.

For the first time since 2014, the Niners did not draft a defensive lineman in the first round of this year’s draft. John Lynch and the front office selected Notre Dame offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey as the ninth overall pick.

The 49ers did not address their need at EDGE during the following rounds either. Except, the team did acquire North Carolina State defensive tackle Kentavius Street in the fourth round.

The biggest concern is that Street tore his ACL during a pre-draft workout and will likely miss the entire 2018 season.

Even though San Francisco passed on drafting a legitimate pass rusher, Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have previously addressed why they did not acquire an EDGE during this year’s draft

Couldn’t find the right fit

Among the defensive end prospects this year, the 49ers could not get the right players at the right time. The edge defenders who Lynch believed may have fit the team were either already taken off the board or just not worth a certain pick value.

During a press conference after the draft, Lynch addressed why the 49ers skipped on a pass rusher this year:

"Those guys are difficult to find, first and foremost. We felt like there were a couple guys who had an opportunity to be special there. Just where we were, we didn’t have an opportunity or chose not to take them."

San Francisco met up with several defensive ends prior to the NFL Draft. Namely, the team expressed interest in players such as North Carolina State’s Bradley Chubb, Boston College’s Harold Landry, UTSA’s Marcus Davenport and Florida State’s Josh Sweat.

The way the draft took place also played a huge part behind the Niners passing on an EDGE. Lynch added:

"Were we averse to adding to it? Not at all. That’s just kind of the way the draft fell. We’re always looking to get better at every position."

San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

Because San Francisco didn’t address one of its biggest weaknesses, the team would have to stick to its current players.

Fortunately, there should be more consistency with coaching and the defensive scheme. Thus, the 49ers’ defensive linemen would have a better grasp of the playbook while entering a new season.

Development of current players

Lynch and Shanahan seem assured with the group they currently have on the roster. The quality they pursued was simply not available in this year’s draft so they hope their defensive linemen will step up come the 2018 regular season.

Under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh for the second consecutive year, the 49ers’ defense won’t need to adapt to a new system.

Additionally, San Francisco hired pass-rush specialist Chris Kiffin last February to help improve the defensive front.

Shanahan also spoke about the Niners’ pass rush situation following the draft:

"We have some pretty good players. Yeah, we’d love to add whoever the best pass rusher is on the outside in the draft. We’d love to get a Von Miller, but you only get eight up on game day and you only get nine on our roster."

The 49ers’ extension of Cassius Marsh‘s contract and recent exercise of Armstead’s fifth-year option also hint at Lynch and Shanahan’s faith toward their current corps of defensive linemen.

Showing his trust toward his players, Shanahan added:

"You’ve got to be pretty good to beat out Marsh. You’ve got to be pretty good to beat out Armstead. You don’t just get guys. If you get them, someone else has got to get cut and we’ve got a pretty good group."

Next: 2018 NFL Draft: Why the 49ers whiffed on Kentavius Street pick

Despite not addressing the EDGE position in the draft, San Francisco is confident with its own players’ development. Especially with better coaching stability, the Niners’ defensive line is seemingly heading toward the right direction.