It’s never too early for mock NFL Drafts. Especially for the San Francisco 49ers, who may only be a few pieces away from serious Super Bowl contention in 2019.
The San Francisco 49ers have yet to play their full slate of 2018 preseason games, and college football hasn’t even started yet.
There are so many X-factors, variables and other elements that’ll eventually help determine who general manager John Lynch, head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co. wind up with in next year’s NFL Draft, making any early assessments seem silly at best.
Still, we all love mock drafts, don’t we?
Of course we do.
The 49ers are a possible playoff candidate this season, but their roster is far from perfect. San Francisco still lacks an elite pass-rusher off the edge. Offensive guard, particularly on the right side, is a problem. And there’s the never-ending concerns about depth.
In truth, the Niners are probably a handful of players away from serious Super Bowl contention. Not in 2018, but likely in 2019. That wouldn’t be a stretch, particularly if Shanahan’s squad makes some notable strides this upcoming season.
So to determine how the 49ers’ 2019 NFL Draft efforts may go, we used the always favorable FanSpeak draft-simulation tool to mock out all seven (yes, seven) rounds of the draft. Interestingly enough, FanSpeak gave the Niners the No. 12 overall pick in the draft — the first of six selections tabbed to Lynch, via FanSpeak.
Because of this, here’s your disclaimer — don’t get upset at where San Francisco is selecting. None of that “he won’t be there at Pick No. X” stuff either.
Also, there aren’t going to be any trades in this mock. While those are fun, let’s just envision a scenario in which every team stays put (although it never happens, but that’s a scenario for another time).
OK, everyone. The San Francisco 49ers are officially on the clock for the 2019 NFL Draft.