San Francisco 49ers: Early look at team needs in 2019 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
Outside Pass-Rusher
Pressing Need: LEO Edge Rusher
Perhaps San Francisco should have made this priority No. 1 entering 2018, as the team finished 27th last year in sacks with just 30 quarterback takedowns.
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The glaring weakness, of course, was at the right defensive end spot, or LEO, where defensive coordinator Robert Saleh would ideally like to place his best pure pass-rusher. Right now, that job is going to Cassius Marsh — a player who entered this season with just six sacks over his four-year career.
Not exactly eye-popping numbers.
Unfortunately for the Niners, free agency offered little chances at upgrading this spot. And the 49ers’ efforts in this year’s NFL Draft led the team away from taking a flier on what ended up being a thin edge-bender class.
Look for that to change in 2019, however.
The 2019 draft is supposed to be laden with both interior and exterior pass-rushers. A team can grab any one of Clemson’s front defenders and immediately upgrade the pass rush heading into next season. And that’s just one route to take. There are plenty of others too.
If one had to guess, John Lynch looks to grab his LEO pass-rusher with the team’s top pick in next year’s draft.
Next. Way-too-soon 49ers 7-round mock NFL Draft for 2019. dark
And San Francisco’s defense would be all the more potent as a result.