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San Francisco 49ers: Way-too-soon 2019 full seven-round NFL Draft mock

By Peter Panacy

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announces a draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announces a draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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DURHAM, NC – NOVEMBER 18: Mark Gilbert #28 of the Duke Blue Devils breaks up a pass intended for Ricky Jeune #2 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during their game at Wallace Wade Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 43-20. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC – NOVEMBER 18: Mark Gilbert #28 of the Duke Blue Devils breaks up a pass intended for Ricky Jeune #2 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during their game at Wallace Wade Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 43-20. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

Alas, the 49ers’ final pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. And another Duke player too.

Remember, San Francisco stockpiled defensive backs in the 2018 draft, so it shouldn’t be seen as a high priority. Depth and special teams contributors, however, are important. And that’s where cornerback Mark Gilbert comes into play.

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The 6-foot-2, 175-pound defensive back looks the part of a boundary corner in coordinator Robert Saleh’s Cover 3 zone defense. While Gilbert could stand to add some bulk to his skinny, lanky frame, there are plenty of reasons to assume his stock will rise considerably his junior year.

Gilbert’s six interceptions for the Blue Devils in 2017 put him on the radar. More impressively, his other positive traits suggest he’ll be more than just a backup piece at the NFL level.

Here’s what With the First Pick’s Maxwell Ogden had to say about Gilbert:

"Gilbert tied for fourth in the country and second in the ACC in interceptions, as well as eighth in the NCAA and second in the conference in passes defended. Furthermore, despite showing a willingness to take on the difficult assignments, Gilbert was targeted just 60 times. He allowed opponents to complete just 38.3 percent of their passes when throwing his way, which inevitably garnered a First Team All-ACC selection."

Ogden also suggested Gilbert could rise all the way to being a first-round pick, which would make this Round 7 49ers pickup a moot point. But here’s there for now, and the Niners would be more than lucky to grab this talented up-and-coming cornerback.

Best & worst 49ers picks from the 2018 NFL Draft. dark. Next

If he ended up falling that far, of course.